Taunted by the Shadows
by CaptivateYou
Summary: So much was lost in the Fourth Shinobi War, and the shadows of the past refuse to leave the hearts of those who survived. It's been five long years, and Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura are sent on a mission that will change their lives forever.
1. Prologue: My Past, My Heart, My Future

Hello everyone!

Hope you guys like my writing! I worked really hard on this!

This is my first crossover fic, so please be supportive!

I'd really appreciate it if everyone would note that **this story is kinda-sorta-REALLY AU**!

This is your first and final warning: the plot will be a mix of canon and AU. So if you recognize an event, enjoy it, and if its mine, just hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

THANKS A BUNCH!

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><p>Disclaimer: If I owned either of these stories, I would be so amazed at my genius that I'd be too busy oo-ing and awe-ing to write fanfiction.<p>

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><p><strong><span>Taunted by the Shadows<span>**

A Naruto/True Blood crossover fic

by: _CaptivateYou_

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><p>Prologue: My Past, My Heart, My Future<p>

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><p>"Sakura-chan, do you have a visual?" a blonde shinobi whispered, lightly pushing a finger to the radio on his neck, dark cerulean eyes trained on the mining site before him, his black-clad form safely hidden by the thick branches and wide leaves of the tree he was currently perched in. His sandals made no sound as he shifted, his sense of balance so finely tuned that it was an unconscious ability to carefully adjust his weight so as to remain completely silent. A wind blew fiercely through the tree, and the jounin's expression did not change even in the face of discomfort. The corners of his eyes and mouth were creased – the twenty-one-year-old had obviously spent a major portion of his life grinning and laughing – yet his eyes were darker, and lent an air of sad maturity to his stature, more so than his boyishly handsome face did.<p>

They were the eyes of one who has seen suffering, and felt it more acutely than one can put into words. They were the tired eyes of someone who was struggling to cope with the pain and the tearing agony of remembering better times…brighter times.

Naruto Uzumaki was the loudest shinobi in all of Konohagakure, perhaps even in the entirety of the continent. His lanky form was always bursting with pride and confidence, and whenever his comrades saw his determined face in battle they couldn't help but feel at ease. _If Naruto can be strong, so can I, _they would think, and their will to fight would return.

It had taken Naruto a year to recover from the war enough to begin smiling and laughing again, and another three to finally come to peace with what had occurred during the long months of battle. Slowly, his brightness had been rekindled, but it was dimmer, less overwhelming and all-consuming. It was a more weathered brightness, and it was almost more powerful than what had been there before, because this brightness was wiser, more able to handle the unpredictable sorrows life brought as well as the blissful moments of happiness.

His never-ceasing light had even won over the supposedly doomed Sasuke Uchiha, in the very end. The Uchiha was face to face with Naruto in the final hours of the battle, and the sword was inches from ending his life. They had already lost so many in the battle – nearly a year had it lasted.

Chouji had been the first to go, and more had quickly followed. Neji, Tenten – the two had died together, holding hands in the face of the whirling inferno of fire and kunai that was coming too fast and too powerfully for them to avoid – Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Tsunade – the old woman had used the last of her strength to save Sakura from an array of large jagged boulders – Shizune, Lee, Temari, Iruka, and finally Ino. All at different points in the war, but each one equally painful to those who were still standing.

It was after the fourth death of Rookie Nine that the remaining members began morbidly considering whether death was preferable over the hellish war that plagued the living.

All of them had always, deep in their heart of hearts, believed that all of the Rookie Nine would somehow remain intact in the face of the war. It was a childish fantasy, but it had kept them going. When Chouji fell in the first week of battle, that fantasy began to splinter at the edges. At the end…it was held together by several tired, fraying strands of weary hope.

Only four of the nine survived the war.

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><p>Instead of yelling, instead of crying his pain and trying to beat sense into his former best friend, Naruto instead said two words that were so pained and full of loss that Sasuke froze in mid-action, the blade a mere hairs-breadth from the blonde's neck.<p>

"_End it." _

Sasuke didn't speak, didn't ask what Naruto could possibly mean other than the obvious plea for death. The two stared at each other, and Madara happened to pass behind the Uchiha at that very moment, injured from Kakashi's constant attacks and bleeding from several deep gashes. His teleportation was weak, and Sasuke suddenly did something very unexpected.

He turned, and stabbed Madara through the heart. It was done without hesitation, and Madara's eyes widened in shock and pure, chilling rage. The man was already dying, and as he fell to his knees, he used the last of his strength to send one of the fallen branches through Sasuke's abdomen, piercing several vital organs. Sasuke didn't try to dodge, didn't make a noise, and on his face was the strangest look of peace.

In that moment, Naruto felt the last thread of hope snap in his hands. His eyes filled with tears as he struggled to crawl over to where Sasuke was lying motionless on his side. The blonde spat out a small glob of blood, and let out a growl as he forced himself to his knees, gently turning Sasuke's torso over and cradling the Uchiha's head in his arms. The dark haired young man was barely breathing, and yet Naruto managed to catch the words that were hoarsely whispered.

"_It's finally over, Dobe." _

"_Yeah, Teme…" Naruto managed to grin. "You can revive your clan now. I'll be Hokage, and you'll be the clan leader, and no matter what happens…" _

_Sasuke's closed for the last time, his breath slowly ceasing to sound, but Naruto didn't stop talking, his glassy blue eyes staring into the face of his fallen teammate._

"…_we'll always stick by each other, because…because you're my best friend. You're my brother, and you always…" Naruto's voice cracked horribly as his tears escaped his control, making clear tracks through the grime on his contorted face. "…you _always_…" _

_Naruto let out a keening sob, hunching over the body of the last Uchiha. _

"_You a-always pushed m-me to be the best I could be, Sasuke. And even n-now…in the end of things…you _still _m-managed to show me up. How could you…how could you–" _

It was then that Naruto lost all control, and simply sat there with Sasuke's head in his hands, crying and calling out to his lost friend while the battle dwindled down to nothing. The survivors crowded around the Jinnchuriki, and it was Kakashi who finally moved forward and put a hand around Naruto's shoulders, gently urging him up and away from the body of Sasuke Uchiha.

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><p>"No, not yet, Naruto. What about you, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's voice, crackling mutely over the radio, effectively brought Naruto's thoughts from the past and into the jarring present of their A-class mission. It was a high-priority case, if not a predictable one. Even though the war had ended nearly four years ago, the nations were struggling to regain stability, and as a result of the months of prolonged political chaos, gangs had grown in number and in strength, and now it was the shinobi duty to eliminate the imminent threat to innocent civilians. It was a difficult task, but it could be done as long as the right shinobi were selected for the task.<p>

The non-shinobi gang that the team was targeting – Kakashi was the team leader, this time – called themselves the "Tears of Blood". The name in-of-itself made Naruto chuckle; it really wasn't intimidating in the least, and was horrifyingly generic at best. It was one of the smaller gangs, having only ten members including their leader. They resided on the edge of the border, between the Fire Country and Rain Country. "Tears of Blood" were rumored to have some kind of voodoo magician in their midst, and so the only man left alive with a weapon able to disrupt any genjutsu or magic of that source was called.

And with him were assigned his two remaining students, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno.

Kakashi's low voice sounded through the radio, and the warning behind the tone made Naruto's form tense in readiness almost instantly.

"I see the leader. Come from around the village, keep to the trees. Position yourselves around the main central meeting area. They seem to be preparing for some ritual, I can't tell for what, exactly. Just be cautious, and alert me when you're there."

Naruto didn't bother to confirm the order, instead taking off from his place in the tree on the south side of the village, using his senses to locate Kakashi's location and silently moving toward it. The air was black as tar, with faint attempts at stars shining from behind the hazy clouds. The chill seeped through Naruto's black jacket, and his spiky blonde hair – it was untidily long, reaching just below his ears – blew behind him as he jumped lithely from branch to branch, keeping his breathing quiet and even.

A few minutes later, Naruto caught sight of the central area, which was basically a large circle of dirt that had the stone buildings scattered around it. The blonde slowed, and took a deep breath before tapping into the Jinnchuriki chakra, using it to flicker into a tree that stood just outside the dirt circle. He molded himself to the branch, his mind ignoring how the branches sharp thorns dug into his calloused skin. He put a finger to his neck, and let out a slow, barely perceptible breath. But he knew that to Kakashi, whose senses were extraordinarily acute, his sound would be recognized as a sign that he was in position. After a few moments of silence, Naruto's ear buzzed with the sound of a quiet hoot of an owl. The blonde grinned into the leaves; Sakura was always eager to flaunt her ability to imitate the call of owls.

Kakashi clicked his tongue once into the radio, and the two others knew from years of working with Kakashi under these circumstances that this was the warning to wait to attack until the opportunity arose. For now, the team would observe and decide what the best plan of action was. Naruto settled down on his branch and struggled to see what was going on below him.

The dirt area was strangely empty save for the ten members of the gang, and yet Naruto felt as if something was missing. Where were the burly, ugly men that held overly large swords and boasted about how many houses they had burned that week? It was sad to say, but that was what most of the gangs Naruto had encountered were like.

But this gang was made up of people that were entirely different. Instead of just being men, there were also a few women, all garbed in the same blinding white robes. They didn't look as though they had seen a day of physical labor in their lives. It looked like some sort of weird cult, Naruto mused, and watched as the white-clad people slowly clasped hands, forming a perfect circle. In the center of the circle was a thin place of pure silver. How Naruto knew it was silver was beyond the blonde's knowledge, and a deep frown marred his usually smooth brow as he noticed one of the women moving forward. Her hair was tied back from her pinched face with several long pieces of black ribbon, contrasting harshly with the white-blonde of her impossibly long hair and the sickly pallor of her skin.

She held out a single finger, and with the knife held in the other hand, sliced open the appendage almost to the bone. Naruto had done the same to himself several times, but he at least had been swearing up a storm and yelping in pain. At least he had reacted, because that was the normal thing to do. This woman's face did not shift in the slightest as she watched blood gush forth and splatter messily onto the silver plate below her hand.

Immediately, the congregation began to chant. The air around the town crackled and snapped, and Naruto felt his skin smarting slightly. There was a deep yearning pull inside his chest, and he rebelled violently against it. What Naruto did catch of the chanting he had no chance of understanding, and as the chanting got louder he decided to disregard the risk of being caught, and hissed into his radio.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Sakura seemed too confused to reprimand Naruto for his lapse in control, for her voice sounded immediately after his. "I have no idea—"

"Kakashi, what–"

But suddenly, the chanting became intelligible, and Naruto's heart leapt as the words pierced his thoughts and made reacting impossible. The center of the circle began glowing with a bright, unnaturally blinding light. Looking into it was impossible, unthinkable…but oh so tempting.

"_We have been waiting for you_," the voice cooed in unison, and suddenly something deep and unidentifiable tugged at Naruto's body, and he was being yanked toward the light. He saw a flash of pink and silver, and he reached for them. Sakura's hand – glowing with chakra – managed to grab hold of his. There was a whirling moan of something struggling to be free, and at the sound something deep and primal roared in Naruto's consciousness. It was so foreign and yet so familiar, and it seemed through Naruto's eyes, bleeding them so that they were a bright crimson color.

The energy inside of Naruto reached for the plate of blood, and someone yelled in rage at the sight, but there was no reason to worry, because the light overwhelmed everything.

Flashes of color, and then there was the peaceful whiteness once more.

Naruto could not feel Sakura or Kakashi. In fact, he couldn't feel anything at all.

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><p>And then it was over.<p>

Naruto felt himself again, and after a moment he realized he was lying on his stomach, his face pressing into crisp, freshly mown grass. The blonde grunted as his body rebelled against rolling over, and with a grimace he forced himself to do so. The grass gave way to something solid and uncomfortable, and a gasp left the blonde's lips at the painful movement. But Naruto was used to ignoring pain in order to achieve his goals. The jounin slowly sat up, and his cerulean eyes slowly focused on his surroundings.

It was night, the moon shining brightly above them. And there were no trees. That was what first caught Naruto's attention. The strange sensation of being surrounded by trees, and then having no trees at all…it left Naruto feeling rather exposed. Second on the observation was the strange surface that he was seated on. It smelled like chemicals, was black, strangely hot, and had luminescent yellow dashes painted along the center of it. He looked one way, and the black path went farther than his keen eyes could see. He looked the other way, and a breath escaped him as he saw his two teammates lying there, his eyes easily defining them even in the dim lighting.

Kakashi was coming to, and when he regained full consciousness he shot straight up like an arrow, his eyes wide and shocked as he immediately put a hand to his kunai case. The silver-haired man was breathing hard, and when he saw that Naruto was also awake he relaxed ever so slightly.

Naruto, gritting his teeth to ward off the pain, moved so he was beside the still comatose Sakura, checking her vitals automatically. His own rapid pulse slowed slightly when he found her pulse to be even and strong, and her breathing regular and healthy. Her eyes were moving under her lids, but as Kakashi and Naruto both watched her, she did not wake. Naruto saw Kakashi examining the road beneath his fingers with wary curiosity, and spoke in a hushed whisper.

"What happened?"

Kakashi was strangely lost, his nose sniffing and his eyes scanning the area around them in an attempt to answer the question. After a moment, he lowered his eyes to Sakura once more, and spoke softly into the stifling heat that was the night.

"I…I don't know."

"Where are we, anyway?" Naruto asked in an attempt to hide his disappointment that his former sensei – one of the most knowledgeable men he knew – couldn't immediately tell him what had happened. Kakashi looked around at their surroundings with more care, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at something behind Naruto. The older jounin frowned, and spoke in a cool tone that barely managed to conceal his anxiety.

"There's a sign…it says: Welcome to Bon Temps."


	2. Chapter 1: We're Not The Same

I hope you guys like it!

I'm not getting many reviews, but I assume that's just because True Blood/Naruto crossovers arent very well-known, and so this story's not getting many views. But I'm not really worried, I'm just having fun writing it!

If you like it, just leave me a note telling me what you think! I'd appreciate it!

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or True Blood, and I never will. Drat.<p>

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><p>Chapter 1: We're Not the Same<p>

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><p>Kakashi stared at the sky, his eyes trailing from the pale blue-cream of the horizon upward to the rich inky blue velvet on which were sewn thousands upon thousands of diamonds. They winked maliciously, as if taunting the jounin with their sense of purpose. The silver-haired man did not scowl or frown as he wished to, instead turning deliberately away from the specks of light and back to his conscious companion. Naruto was staring at Sakura, his cerulean eyes dark and expressionless in the face of the silent night that stretched around the campsite. The moonlight was hidden behind the line of trees, and so the forest was dim and depthless. There was no fire to ward off the shadows; the shinobi didn't want to risk getting caught in this strange land, preferring to remain hidden until they figured out where they were.<p>

Sakura was still comatose, her peaceful face marred gray and dim by the lighting, and Kakashi moved so he was sitting next to Naruto. The shinobi had learned over the years to work with dim light, and was just as mobile in near darkness as he was in broad daylight. Kakashi sent out pulses of his chakra, almost like echolocation, to sense where objects were, and so his movement did not disturb the stillness of the sultry summer air. Well, Kakashi _assumed_ that it was summer. It had been summer back in the Fire Country, at least. The fact that he was so lost in terms of where they were – couldn't even be certain of what _season _it was – irked Kakashi more than he was willing to let show. But Naruto seemed to sense his discomfort, in that uncanny way of his. The blonde turned to Kakashi, and sighed heavily, leaning his elbows on his bent knees.

"Kakashi-sensei…what do you think happened?" the young man murmured, his long fingers folding together pensively. If Naruto had used this sort of tone and posture before the war, Kakashi would have thought that something was seriously afflicting Naruto's mental stability. The fifteen-year-old Kakashi had once known would never contain his emotions so easily, preferring to proclaim his questions to everyone and anyone within hearing distance. But that was before the war.

That was before losing Sasuke Uchiha. The loss of a best friend tended to permanently alter a person's way of expressing their emotions. Kakashi himself was a prime example, and Itachi Uchiha was another.

Now, Naruto's carefree exuberance was safety kept behind a veil of peaceful silence, and Kakashi sometimes wondered if that brightness Naruto had exuded back then would ever fully emerge once more. It wasn't as though Naruto's previous loudness hadn't been irritating at times, but in a way Kakashi couldn't help but miss it. It took him back to days spent with Obito and Rin. He hadn't been appreciative of the warmth present in Obito's bright cheerful grin back then, and now that Naruto's spark was less bright…Kakashi felt the absence of his best friend weighing even more on his mind than usual.

"It would seem that we've been transported by supernatural means. This place is in fact real; I sense no genjutsu."

Naruto nodded, but his eyes remained expressionless as they flicked up to meet Kakashi's own gaze. "Speaking of that, I haven't felt any kind of chakra since we came here. I feel yours and Sakura's, but everything else…nothing," the blonde said, and for the first time Kakakshi heard a bit of anxious discomfort enter the boy's low voice. The thirty-two-year-old jounin had noticed it too, and ran a hand through his hair in a sign of quiet frustration.

"I know what you mean. If I try, I can sense the auras of what I think are civilians in nearby houses, but…there's no chakra whatsoever. Back in the village, even civilians had the basis of chakra. They just hadn't tapped into it, and so the chakra points weren't present. Here, not even civilians have chakra."

The blonde didn't respond to Kakashi's comment, instead staring up at the night sky, similar to how Kakashi had just a minute or two earlier. Kakashi looked up once more, and found that the stars had been erased from view entirely. Naruto's voice sounded again, and it sounded rather hoarse.

"Do you…do you think we're dead, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto breathed, his voice somehow echoing in the still air. Kakashi's breath hitched, his hand tightening into a fist so that his knuckles turned white. It was a question he had asked himself when waking up to the pitch-blackness of this strange new world, and a question that had not ceased to probe his thoughts even after reading the city sign that read "Welcome to Bon Temps".

Kakashi had always believed that death was a simple affair. Like a light switch, the brain just…turned off, and there was a peaceful nothingness in place of the roiling emotions of the living. He heard people talk of the wonderful paradise that was the life after death – "heaven", most called it – and dismissed the idea almost immediately. Death was not something that one could justify. It was the end that awaited all living things, and Kakashi knew that when his time came, he would accept it peacefully, gratefully even. He knew that those who he had loved were gone forever, and he put aside foolish hopes that he would somehow talk to them once more. They were gone, and someday Kakashi would be gone as well. Nothing would mark his presence but those who chose to remember him – and perhaps a lifeless arrangement of letters marking a tombstone, if he died a natural death.

Kakashi felt a sharp pain in his heart at the sad defeat in his former student's voice, and thought carefully before answering.

"No, I don't think we are. It felt more like a teleportation jutsu than anything else, but a bit off somehow. I think we're…somewhere else. Not in our world, but in another world we had no knowledge of until now."

Kakashi watched as Naruto got to his feet, his eyes staring off into the blackness that was the surrounding trees. The blonde was about to speak, but suddenly, Kakashi heard the faint sound of feet hitting the mossy forest floor. Naruto heard it as well, and the two jounin moved into their defensive stances; Naruto facing the noise with chakra pulsing just under the surface while Kakashi placed his feet on either side of Sakura's helpless form.

The footsteps were much faster and lighter than those of a civilian, and so when Naruto glanced back to exchange looks with Kakashi, the older jounin knew that they were thinking the same thing.

Only a shinobi would be able to move that quickly without much sound. But then, Kakashi mused, why couldnt they sense any form of chakra? There was, instead of the faint beating of a heart and the smell of chakra and sweat, only a earthy musk that seemed to fade in and out of Kakashi's senses. What in the world was coming?

The silence was suddenly filled by quick, gasping breaths, and Kakashi's eyes widened as a figure suddenly appeared in the line of trees to their left. It was a girl – she couldn't be more than eighteen, and the innocent lack of experience in her eyes made her seem almost a child in the eyes of Kakashi – and she was paler than even Sakura. That was the first thing Kakashi noticed about her. Her vivid red hair – Kakashi felt a jab as he recalled that Kushina Uzumaki's hair had been the exact same shade – fell around her in carefully styled curls, and clashed with her clear gray-aqua eyes. She was clad in a simple yellow summer-dress that provided a disconcertingly innocent persona that violently juxtaposed with the look on her face.

It was a ravenous, wild look that put a small dollop of unease into Kakashi's normally guarded heart. This girl wasn't a shinobi, but it was painfully obvious that she wasn't human, either. Her lips parted, and Kakashi stared without thought of how his shock would lower his guard.

Her canines were much longer than the rest of her teeth, much longer than the lengthened canines often found in Inuzuka clan members. The girl…had _fangs_? What was she?

The girl's eyes remained glued to Naruto's frozen form – Kakashi assumed he was suffering from the same level of shock that Kakashi himself was – and her fangs seemed to grow even longer as her eyes trailed down his form. A hungry grin of lust brightened her face, and Kakashi decidedly hardened his mind. He had witnessed kunoichi trying to use their beauty to put their victims at ease before, and he knew that letting oneself be fooled was digging ones own grave.

"You smell awful good…" she murmured, and Kakashi frowned at the foreign twang of her accent. It was so unfamiliar, and he wondered if it was normal for this region. He spared a glance at Naruto, who was still on guard. He felt a burst of pride at the way Naruto's defensive stance never once faltered, not even in the face of this beautiful enigma.

Suddenly, the girl leapt at Naruto with a speed that was unnatural without the presence of chakra, but at the same time manageable. Kakashi didn't need the Sharingan to predict her movements, and so he didn't immediately rush to Naruto's aid. The boy was able to sidestep easily, and ducked when the girl rushed at him stupidly with arms outstretched as if to hug him. It was obvious that she had no training whatsoever, and Naruto was quick to knock the girl's feet from beneath her, pinning her to the ground and holding her there with a kunai. The girl was obviously stronger than she looked, for Naruto's face shifted slightly in his effort to keep her grounded. Chakra flickered as he exerted more pressure, and his teeth were slightly bared. The girl screamed in shock and in fear, her fangs glinting in the light as Naruto's blade moved to press against the pearly skin of her throat.

Another presence flickered into existence, faster than the red-haired girl, and Kakashi knew from the moment the new man – a man in his mid-twenties with sideburns and a furious scowl – became visible that he was much stronger than the girl. Kakashi flicked up his headband, and his Sharingan spun lazily, easily keeping up with the strange creature. Kakashi leapt at the man, blocking his path to Naruto, and the other bared his fangs in warning.

"Let her go," he said in the same twanging accent as the girl. Naruto moved silently, yanking the girl to her feet and spinning her around so her back was against his chest, holding the knife more securely against her neck. The girl whimpered in pain, more blood trickling down her neck, and Kakashi noted the panic that flitted through

Kakashi did not answer, and suddenly, before Kakashi could read his movements, the man was kneeling beside Sakura, a single hand reaching toward the girl's neck, his dark-blue eyes staring grimly at the fanged female in Naruto's arms.

Naruto's growl was so menacing that the girl in his arms whimpered again, this time in fear.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!"

Kakashi felt anger pulsing through his frame so furiously that he had trouble keeping his face void of emotion. The dark haired man ceased in his approach, much to Kakashi's surprise. It made Kakashi wonder what exactly the connection was between the man and red-haired girl. Could their relationship be that strong?

Most enemies would simply continue, having concluded from Naruto's desperate outburst that Sakura was important enough that Naruto wouldn't kill what the enemy wanted without guaranteeing Sakura's safety first. The man looked at Kakashi, and then at Naruto, and a deep crease of confusion formed in between his eyebrows.

"I mean you no harm. My Child is very young; she has not yet learned to control her emotions. Please…let her go," the man breathed, and Kakashi looked deep into the man's eyes. The Sharingan spun slightly, and yet instead of searching through the man's mind…there was nothing. A blank emptiness where images and words should have been. But Kakashi was able to sense the deep, piercing sincerity of the man's plea, the emotion strong and pulsing through the creature's otherwise indiscernible mind.

"Step away from our companion, and we'll release the girl," Kakashi said cooly, and the man moved without hesitation, slowly moving as if not to give Kakashi or Naruto a reason to react negatively. The girl in Naruto's arms practically jumped into the man's arms the moment Naruto loosened his hold, and she bared her fangs at Naruto angrily. He did not react, instead moving to check on Sakura, his eyes showing the faintest signs of relief when he saw that no harm had come to her.

The man consoled the girl for a moment before turning to Kakashi once more, his eyes bereft of resentment or hatred, instead holding a deep curiosity. His voice was low and polite as he took a step forward, holding his hands up slightly as a sign of peace. Kakashi lowered his weapon, but he did not lower his guard, not for one second.

"If I may ask, what are you, exactly? You're not human, I could tell that from your scent…and you easily kept up with my progeny and myself." The man did not smile, and for that Kakashi was grateful. The jounin looked to Naruto, who was kneeling next to Sakura, silently watching the exchange. The blonde was wary, but even so, the blonde seemed at ease in a way.

Naruto claimed that the Nine-Tailed-Fox's presence inside of him made it possible for him to sense negative emotions, to be able to sense evil intent before it actually made itself known. Kakashi wasn't sure how viable the claim was, but it hadn't steered Team 7 wrong in the entirety of their time together, and had – Naruto claimed – saved their lives on several occasions. And so Kakashi addressed the blonde, in their secret code language invented by a small sect of Konohagakure shinobi. It was a seemingly random system of sounds and words that combined together to form coherent sentences. It took at least a year to learn fluently, but once learned, it proved to be a crucial skill. Kakashi thanked the gods that he had forced Sakura and Naruto to learn it when they had become jounin. Not many bothered to learn the language, seeing as Morse code and sign language were much easier to learn.

"_Naruto, do you sense anything?_" Kakashi asked, feeling slightly foolish. Naruto examined the dark haired man before them, and then the girl standing beside him. His eyes were calm and searching, and something shivered in his skin as his chakra flared slightly. The man frowned at Naruto, and Kakashi wondered if he could feel the touch of the young jounin's chakra. Naruto straightened after a moment, and let out a small breath.

"_No. The head guy's got a few secrets, but other than that he's clean. He doesn't mean us any harm, and neither does the girl. Maybe this guy could tell us where the hell we are. It'd be nice to get some information._"

"_But there's no way we can trust them!" _Kakashi practically hissed, and Naruto faced Kakashi, face solemn.

"_You saw how easily I overpowered the girl earlier. Your Sharingan can track the stronger one, and you saw from how he reacted that if we use the girl as leverage, he'll do whatever we ask. We should at least give him a chance. We have nothing to lose. If he acts suspicious, we'll be able to leave. It's not like we're powerless, Kakashi-sensei._"

Kakashi scowled from behind his mask, but he had to admit that Naruto was right. No matter how much Kakashi wanted to turn and run from these strange entities, he also knew that Team 7 needed information regarding the world they had been thrust into. It wasn't in Kakashi's nature to trust easily, and so this plan of befriending these creatures made Kakashi's hair stand up on end.

Back in Konoha, Kakashi was always the composed one, always the one to come up with the plan. To see Naruto being so calm in the face of such unusual circumstances…it was disturbing. Kakashi had to get a hold of the situation, he couldn't let his unease turn him into a puddle of uncertainty. He was an elite shinobi…he could handle this.

And so he nodded, and turned to the creatures staring at them in blatent confusion. Naruto seemed to sense that Kakashi was giving him the authority on this one, and so he spoke in a cheerful tone that combated against Kakashi's obvious distrust.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, this is Kakashi Hatake, and our teammate is Sakura Haruno. We're jounin of Konohagakure."

"What the hell?" the girl hissed, evidently still miffed about being so easily overpowered, and the man sternly hushed her, though he looked as confused as she did. He smiled, and nodded in acknowledgement, and Kakashi's respect for the man increased ever so slightly. He had manners, at least.

"I have no idea what a "jounin" is, or where "Konohagakure" is located, but I appreciate the information. My name is Bill Compton, and this is my Child, Jessica Hamby. We live nearby, near the Bon Temps Cemetery. Your friend," he gestured to Sakura, and Kakashi tensed in warning. "is she alright?"

Naruto sent Kakashi a questioning glance, and Kakashi nodded. If they were to gain the trust of this creature, they would need to trust him with information of their own. It was difficult to admit, but they needed allies in this world; whether they were human or not wasn't important.

Naruto went on, slightly less open now. "She's our teammate, and when we…when we appeared here, she was unconscious. You see…we're not from here. Not just this area…we think we're from a different world all together," he said, and Bill's brow raised in shock. Jessica huffed, and Bill's tone was confused.

"You mean, you're not from this world? That would explain the smell and the strange strength...enough to match a vampire of considerable age."

Kakashi spoke, his curiosity briefly overpowering his wariness. "And how can you smell us, exactly? You aren't human, either."

Bill's look of confusion, it seemed, would be a major expression for the remainder of the conversation. "You…you don't know what we are?"

"Nope," Naruto said cheerily, but his eyes became wary once more as Jessica's fangs retreated into her mouth once more. Kakashi resisted the urge to stare – how was she able to retract her fangs?

Bill sighed, and rubbed his face with one hand. The creature seemed to be debating something, and Jessica took the time to lean forward slightly and sniff in Naruto's direction once more. Kakashi sent her a glare, and she shrunk backward once more.

"I find this very hard to believe…and yet it would explain your lack of fear, and your scent does not lie. Jessica and myself…we're vampires."

Kakashi and Naruto looked at each other, and then back to the two "vampires" before them. The silence grew, and the two vampires seemed confused at the lack of a reaction from the two shinobi. Kakashi looked at Naruto, and the blonde gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"What're those?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide and questioning.

Jessica gaped at him. "You've gotta be kidding me! You have no idea? But…but everyone knows what vampires are! Haven't you ever seen the movies? Y'know, Dracula and all that shit?" When the shinobi gave no agreeable response, she threw her hands up. "Not even _Twilight_?"

Bill put a hand on the female vampire's shoulder, and shook his head. "I see. They don't have stories about fanged creatures in your world?"

"No, they don't," Kakashi said coldly, annoyed at how clueless he felt in regards to these "vampires" that were apparently something commonly known in this world. Bill sensed his frustration it seemed, because he held up his hands in order to dispute the tension that was slowly appearing.

"I think that this discussion should be taken elsewhere. I can offer you a place to stay until we settle this out, if you like. Vampires need to sleep during the day, so we have a few hours until my progeny and I must go underground. I will answer any questions you may have, and I hope I can get a few of my own answered as well."

Naruto smiled, and answered before Kakashi had a chance to discuss the risks.

"That sounds good. Should we just follow you?" Bill nodded, and Naruto gave the vampire a small smile of thanks. "Alright."

Kakashi restrained his urge to scold Naruto for not discussing their options with Kakashi first, and instead moved to clear their camp. Packing up camp was something Kakashi had been doing for so long that it was done in mere minutes, and once he was done, he shouldered his pack and tossed the other pack in Naruto's general direction. The blond plucked the heavy bag out of the air with ease, and Kakashi knelt down to carefully lift Sakura into his arms.

The medic's breathing was even, her face calm and smooth in the dim light. Her long hair – she had grown it out over the past few years – fall softly over Kakashi's arm as he cradled her form close to his chest. Bill and Jessica waited, and when Naruto nodded in readiness, they ran quickly to the east.

Naruto was quick to follow, and Kakashi only hesitated for a moment before hastening to catch up.


	3. Chapter 2: I Need A Heartbeat

Phew! Wow, I was gonna have Sakura's POV in here too, but I was getting to the end of this chapter and I was like, "uhhhhh...NOPE!"

It's longer than I'm used to posting, so I hope you guys like it!

I spent a long time making this as realistic as I could, so please let me know that you think!

Thanks!

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><p>Chapter 2: I Need a Heartbeat<p>

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><p>The house was disgusting, to put it plainly.<p>

In the Land of Fire – and even in the other countries – the architecture was centered on compactness and the ability to remain sturdy even in the face of enemy attacks. The Shinobi Villages were the prime examples of this type of structure, with wide streets lined with small buildings that were at the most three levels. The roofs were carefully constructed so that shinobi had no problem using chakra to scale the surfaces, and walls were made of a universal blend of both metal and pale cream concrete. Only the older clans – such as the Hyuuga – kept their old styles of wooden structures, and as time went on the clan had begun to reinforce the foundation with flexible metal and the ceilings and pillars with concrete, so that they wouldn't catch on fire or collapse in a crisis.

Growing up in such a village, Naruto was accustomed – and found a familiar, comforting beauty – to such simplistic architecture. There were no pretenses; each building served a purpose as well as having a touch of individuality. Naruto's apartment (he had moved after the war, and had a sense of cleanliness that had been previously absent) demonstrated this completely. It was uncomplicated and clean, and what little decoration Naruto had was even more striking because of its starkness against the bareness of the place. He only kept things – seemingly useless things; the picture of Team 7 as genin, a small origami bouquet of flowers, and a large posterboard that held a picture-collage of the Rookie Nine members who had perished in the war, and a small glass frame that held the smiling faces of his parents – that held deep sentimental value. It said something about what Naruto stood for.

Even on foreign missions that took Naruto outside of the Land of Fire, the mansions of nobles – although overly decorated in some cases – had a similar style, and were open and airy. They had a simple grace that did not reflect the imperious personalities of their occupants, because most of them were built long before the nobles' time. Only geniuses that saw a living space as a piece of art were chosen to take on such a task, and the mansions reflected the tender detail put in by long deceased architects. The structures were softly lit, surrounded by beautiful gardens of water and carefully cultured flowers; proud and dignified in their age.

The house of Bill Compton couldn't have been more different.

It was a gross, sickly white, and was so large that Naruto had to crane his head back to view it properly. The paint – the house was foolishly made of wood; the man obviously didn't comprehend what would happen in a fire – was peeling, revealing some molding material underneath it. The structure was a pitiful attempt in being stately, and in its age it seemed tired, deflated almost. The shutters were pitch black, hanging on each of the many windows by what seemed like a single hinge, and were deathly still even though a steady breeze was blowing. There were odd-looking pillars that held the dark mossy roof up, towering dismally over a flight of redbrick stairs.

If Naruto were to give his uncensored opinion, he would immediately state that it was appallingly ugly – for lack of a more suitable description – and ask permission to use the Rasengan to slowly and painfully remove the eyesore.

But those childish urges were something Naruto had been suppressing for the past five years, and after so long he couldn't help but wonder if the active act of suppressing had been replaced by an unconscious acceptance that silence was the easier route.

Bill and Jessica – Naruto tried to ignore the fact that the girl continued to glance back at the shinobi, her eyes wide; she was obviously shocked that the three could keep up with them – stopped at the foot of the stairs, and Bill turned to Kakashi, who was cradling Sakura close to his chest. Her hair was pale gray in the suddenly blinding light of the moon, illuminating her passive face, and Naruto let a bit of his worry bleed into his eyes as he moved to examine his friend. Her skin was warm, a normal temperature. Her lips were parted as she breathed in and out.

Even so, Naruto found himself brushing his fingers over her mouth; just to be sure air was indeed being exhaled and then inhaled. The warmth of her breath soothed him in a strange, inexplicable way. He knew that he would never be able to relieve himself of this insane need to touch her and _know _she was all right when she was conscious, and so he wanted to make it count while it lasted. Naruto knew that Kakashi was giving him a look, but he didn't dare meet the older jounin's gaze.

Bill cleared his throat, and Naruto pulled away, grateful that his back had been shielding his actions from view. He didn't want them to get any ideas about the relationship between him and Sakura. They were not lovers. They were friends. Best friends…right? Hell, Naruto wasn't sure if they were _friends_ anymore.

Naruto regretted many things that occurred because of the war, but nothing did he regret more than the impact it had on the dynamic of his and Sakura's friendship. Kakashi saw it, and had done nothing, perhaps because his own experience led him to believe that confronting the problem would only worsen it. The man had kept a steady friendship with Naruto and Sakura both, but somehow the three of them never all interacted at once.

Sakura had changed the most out of any of them. Being the only member of the team that had lived her life up until the war without experiencing deaths of those close to her, she started taking after her sensei, and began drinking. Every night, she could be found in the local bar, drinking cups of sake as casually as if they were glasses of water. Her sea-foam eyes – once so cheerful and energetic – were now dark, like they were constantly cloaked in shadow. No longer did she laugh as loudly, no longer did she smile at Naruto in that sisterly way of hers, the way that made every problem seem conquerable. Now, when Naruto and Sakura passed each other in the street…they exchanged a small nod, and maybe a brief greeting if the timing was right.

But that was all.

That spark of loyal affection Sakura had always possessed was gone. And it had gone unsolved for all this time, because Naruto was afraid of being rejected. Naruto was terrified that she would shake her head, her eyes cold as she stated that things weren't the same. That they could never be what they had once been.

Naruto stared at the vampire – the word felt odd to use, and yet seemed more appropriate than anything else – as he spoke.

"Please, come inside," Bill offered politely, and Naruto nodded before following the vampires up the crumbling stairs. His instinct about strangers had never failed him before; why should he doubt it now? Bill wasn't exuding any malicious signals, and his eyes were honest, the sincerest Naruto had seen in many years. For someone who smelled of rotten earth and aged blood, this was completely unexpected.

A loose brick crumbled downward just as Naruto's foot touched it, but thanks to a lifetime of conditioning, Naruto's gait did not change in the least. Kakashi followed more slowly, lifting Sakura higher in his arms as her tangled hair – out of her customary high ponytail, it fell to her waist – caught on the untidy bushes that were planted on either side of the stairs. The door to the mansion opened, and Naruto stopped, wary of the darkness that surrounded the interior. Bill darted inside, in that blurred way that marked him as anything but human, his abilities completely different from the speed gained with the use of chakra or even the flicker technique. These _vampires_…they were enigmas, that was for sure.

Naruto watched as lights suddenly flared inside the house, soft lights that flickered for a moment before settling into a comfortable stream of energy. It reminded Naruto of his sixteenth birthday, when he and Sakura decided to sit and watch sappy teenage drama movies all night, each eating a large tub of ice-cream – Naruto had rainbow sherbet, Sakura had mint-chip – and making fun of the terrible dialogue spewed by actors in their mid to late twenties.

The next morning they were so sick that they could barely move, and spent the majority of the morning getting chewed out by Tsunade for having a total lack of restraint. But even so, Naruto would never forget the warmth that filled his apartment that night, filled with light and laughter and _happiness_.

The blonde entered the house, and his keen nose wrinkled at the musty smell that permeated everything. They were currently standing in a waiting area – the hardwood floor smelled of cedar – a small rickety table standing beside the door, on which a vase of white roses was placed. To the right was a dark kitchen that looked completely unused. A flight of stairs led up to the second floor, the wood making up the railing carved with strange shapes and pictures that Naruto did not recognize. To the left was a circular room, which held several long couches that faced two flowery armchairs. A fireplace stood beyond the couches, and Bill hastened to get a fire going, his movements blurring once more. A moment later, a small fire was burning, and in an instant Bill was feeding it small logs, allowing it to strengthen. The vampire, nodding at his handiwork, stood, and faced the still standing shinobi.

Jessica's nose was wrinkled as well, and she flopped herself on the small flower-patterned armchair, in what Naruto assumed was the living room, her curly red hair spilling over the armrest as she complained.

"This place smells like _shit_, Bill."

"Enough, Jessica!" Bill snapped, though Naruto couldn't help but notice that Bill's nose was also turned up in distaste at the smell. "I haven't had time to clean–"

"Really? I hadn't noticed!" she muttered sarcastically, and sat up to better see the dark haired vampire, her bright aqua-gray eyes narrowing as she went on. "You're too busy wooing this _Sookie _to even consider the fact that I live here too!" Jessica snarled in response, and Bill looked, for a moment, ready to slap her. Naruto wouldn't stop him if he tried; Jessica was being unnecessarily difficult, most likely because Bill would be less inclined to openly discipline her in front of the three shinobi.

Bill let out a tired sigh, and turned back toward Naruto and Kakashi. "Forgive me, I'm being extremely rude," he murmured, and gestured for them to sit. "If you wish, you may place your friend on this couch, and then you two can sit on the other couch."

Naruto nodded, and helped Kakashi place Sakura gently on the couch closest to the door. She was small enough so that there was amble room on either end of her limp form. And so, instead of sitting on the couch a few feet away, Kakashi and Naruto took a seat on either side of her; Naruto sitting by her head and Kakashi sitting by her feet. Bill looked slightly surprised at their decision, but thankfully, decided not to press the issue. He glanced at the strongly burning fire, and the red-orange flames glinted brightly in the dark irises of his eyes.

Naruto did not speak, and Kakashi seemed determined to remain silent until absolutely necessary. Jessica was still sulking, and Sakura was – as she had been for the past few hours – out cold.

And so a tense silence filled the room, and once it had been established, Naruto felt awkward trying to break it. Several minutes passed – to those present it seemed much longer – and to Naruto's surprise, it was Kakashi who spoke up first.

"What are your intentions, inviting us here?"

Bill seemed relieved to have a reason to speak, and leaned forward so his elbows were on his bent knees. "I mean you no harm, and I have a feeling that even if I did, you would have no trouble defending yourselves. I…I won't lie to you; the reason I brought you here is because…" he trailed off, looking extremely guilty. "Well, you three – especially you, young man," Bill nodded to Naruto. "have blood that smells somewhat like that of Sookie Stackhouse. I was curious. It's obvious that you three aren't from around these parts, and I decided that my hospitality would be much less interrogative than that of the vampire Sheriff of this area."

Naruto immediately felt a strong surge of respect for this Bill Compton, even though he had just admitted to having selfish reasons for offering them information and shelter. The vampire had been completely honest, and for that Naruto was grateful. He wasn't sure that he could've handled a stranger from this world lying and trying to manipulate them. Lies and secrets only solved things for a little while; sooner or later they would unravel, and the security offered by them would be for nothing, because the trust would be gone.

Naruto nodded. "That's understandable, I guess. So…can you tell us exactly what vampires are? I know that's not the most important thing right now, but I can't get it out of my head."

Kakashi inclined his head slightly, letting Naruto know that the question was all right. Bill seemed somewhat amused, and let out a hoarse chuckle. The sound was much too old for a man of Bill's age, and it made Naruto frown. Jessica, pulled from her moody pouting, let a small smile cross her lips as well. Naruto raised an eyebrow, and Bill leaned back, his face fading back to his previous expression – carefully calm, but still anxious.

"It's funny you should say that, because in truth…vampires are a rather prominent part of this world, ever since they revealed themselves to humans two years ago. You see, vampires," he gestured to Jessica and himself, "are no longer among the living. We sustain ourselves by consuming the blood of humans, or in some cases, a synthetic substitute called Tru Blood, which is able to sustain us if we so choose. Most don't prefer it, simply because of the taste and the thrill of feeding from the source."

Jessica grinned at that, and Naruto saw that her fangs had dropped once more. They were an inch or so long, Naruto guessed, and glistened in the firelight. Naruto found his eyes trained to the obvious weapons, though fear was not a part of his emotions when considering them. He was more curious than anything. Then, he realized that Kakashi had stiffened beside him, and looked up in confusion.

Kakashi's tone was frigid. "You give them no choice? That's barbaric."

Jessica scoffed, and Kakashi fixed his steely gaze upon her. "Of course we do! God, you sound _just _like my Daddy…he was always convinced that vampires were mindless killers that didn't have half a brain."

Bill sighed, running a hand through his hair, a grimace tarnishing his smooth brow as he sent a harsh glare at the vampire beside him.

"Jessica is correct; we vampires do in fact give the humans a choice. They must willingly offer themselves, without threat or force, as it is against the law to feed off an unwilling donor. It's all very structured, very different than it was before the Great Revelation," he said, and, seeing the confusion on Naruto and Kakashi's face, quickly added, "The day that vampires came out of hiding and proclaimed their existence to society."

"How are you able to move and talk and stuff? In our world, people can only come back from the dead if the soul is put into a substitute body, along with a shit-load of chakra preparation and someone else pulling the strings."

Bill seemed torn between how to answer and whether to ask some questions of his own. After a moment of silence he cleared his throat, and said, "A vampire is made when a human is almost completely drained off his or her blood, and the vampire feeds the human a large amount of vampire blood, which overpowers the human blood left in the system. Then, after sleeping in the earth with the Maker, the human rises as a vampire. There are several other parts to the process, but that's the simplest way of explaining it to a human. Even the oldest vampires are not exactly sure why or how the transformation is solidified by the exchange of such a large amount of vampire blood. It is a mystery."

Naruto leaned back against the cushions, his mind struggling to comprehend the logic behind the explanation. Kakashi recovered more quickly, and his eyes surveyed Jessica carefully.

"This girl…you "made" her? That's what you were referring to when you called her your Child earlier."

The older jounin's words were so confident that Bill didn't bother responding. Naruto frowned, glancing over at Kakashi. The silver-haired man was peering at Bill and Jessica, and Naruto felt the man's chakra branching out, brushing against the two vampires. Jessica shivered, her brows furrowing in discomfort, and Bill cocked his head, his eyes boring into Kakashi's neutral ones.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked, his tone slightly forced. Kakashi immediately ceased his examination, and turned to Naruto, speaking in code.

"_If you branch out your chakra, you'll be able to sense the bond between them. I cant sense any chakra in them, but I can sense the energy in their blood, and the girl's blood resembles the man's,_" Kakashi murmured, and Naruto nodded, deciding not to try it just then, seeing as the two were already uncomfortable with the sensation.

"You can feel that?" Naruto asked, and Bill nodded, his fingers tightening around each other.

"Yes. It's–"

"It feels like that prickly sensation you get when someone runs their nails on a chalkboard. I hate it," Jessica mumbled, her fangs popping back into her mouth as she spoke. Bill sent her an exasperated look, but nodded in agreement.

"It is particularly uncomfortable, yes. What is it, exactly? It feels like magic, and yet…less so."

Naruto's lips quirked into a wry smile. The rate they were going, their conversation wouldn't be ending any time soon. Part of him relished the idea of learning more about this world, but another part of him yearned for sleep. It had been a tiring few hours, and even though Naruto had slept well the previous night, all he wanted to do was curl up and try to organize his thoughts.

"It's called "chakra", and it's the form of energy the shinobi use to perform special techniques and such. In order to be a shinobi, one must train their body all their life, which makes us much stronger than the average civilian. The chakra is usually dormant, but in the case of a shinobi it flows through the system, further enhancing physical strength and speed. I'm surprised that you can feel it, it usually takes years of training to be able to actively feel chakra being exuded from another person," Kakashi stated bluntly, and Naruto nodded, glad that the silver-haired jounin had taken the lead. Naruto was an excellent shinobi, but he had never been a teacher, and so his ability to explain the finer points of certain things had never been properly developed.

Bill nodded, seeming to accept this as an adequate description. "I see. It most certainly explains why you were able to match our speed, as well as physically withstand a newborn vampire and a vampire of moderate age. A regular human would have died had Jessica attacked them as she did. Vampires grow stronger with age, and so she is relatively weak as our kind goes. I wonder how one of your kind would do against an older vampire…"

"How old are you?" Naruto asked, and Bill smiled before staring.

"I am one hundred and seventy-six years old, and Jessica here is only two weeks old."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he did the first thing that came to his mind.

He laughed.

The amusement was bred out of shock, and it died quickly at the serious expression on Bill's face. Kakashi was staring at Bill with such surprise that Naruto knew that this was no trick, no attempt to mock or ridicule.

"You're…" Naruto swallowed, trying to stay calm. "You're serious? And there are vampires _older _than you?"

Bill nodded. "Yes. In fact, the Sheriff of this area is over one thousand years of age. It is normally not very polite to share information about vampires behind their backs, but in this case I see it as necessary, so that when you meet him you are not foolish enough to underestimate his strength. It won't be long before he finds out of your existence, and it would bode better for all of us if you were the ones to approach him rather than him tracking him down."

"You would let us stay here?" Naruto asked, baffled by the kindness of the vampire. Bill smiled, and his eyes were truly happy for the first time that evening.

"Yes. I'm fascinated in your origins…and it would ease my mind knowing that Jessica would have some added protection when I attend matters of business," he said, and Naruto smirked. Of course there was a catch. The blonde hadn't been expecting anything less.

"How much time do we have until this Sheriff seeks us out?" Kakashi asked, and Bill sighed, his hands rubbing together as if brushing crumbs from them after a meal.

"I can't say for certain, but if I were to guess, I would say that we have two weeks before he begins the search. If you choose to stay here, your scent will mingle with mine, and its resemblance to Sookie will intrigue him more than anything else. He will not harm you…at least I'm almost positive that he won't. "

Naruto noticed that Bill's expression soured at the mention of the Sheriff in relation to Sookie – Naruto really couldn't see any reason behind such a ridiculous name – and wondered what it was that was bothering the vampire. Kakashi glanced at Naruto, and the blonde refused to meet the man's gaze, focusing on Bill.

"You say that our chakra seems like magic…what does the magic around here feel like?"

Bill seemed perplexed by Naruto's question, but nevertheless answered.

"Well, it feels like little needle pricks all over the skin, and the air seems to shift strangely. It's intoxicating to humans, and from what I've heard the power pulls humans toward it, unless the spell is specifically crafted to make humans avoid the caster."

Naruto's eyes widened, and both Kakashi and Naruto turned to stare at each other, both of their faces calm and passive on the surface, but both of their gazes reflecting the unadulterated shock of the other.

What Bill had just described was the exact feeling that the team of shinobi had experienced in the moments before being sucked into the light. So it _had_ been magic from this world that had transported them here.

The discussion continued, but Naruto's mind was less focused now. It was nearing dawn when the silence ensued once more. Both sides were digesting what had been exchanged. Bill told them that they were free to stay in the house for as long as they liked, and that when he and his Child rose the following night, they would discuss the next plan of action.

Even when Naruto finally laid out his sleeping bag – the team decided to set up in the room farthest from the front door, so that they could make their escape out the back windows if they needed to – his mind refused to succumb to the tiredness that was so thoroughly saturated into his mind. It was strange to be so tired when the sun was in fact starting to peek up over the hills, but he ignored it, and pulled the thick black curtains shut over the window before sliding into the sleeping bag.

From the lack of deep breaths coming from Kakashi's side of the room, Naruto knew that he wasn't the only one lying awake. Naruto didn't particularly feel like talking, and so he lay there, thinking so hard that he wouldn't be surprised if Kakashi could physically _hear_ his brain whirring.

Naruto felt his body sinking into unconsciousness, and closed his eyes tiredly, letting the exhaustion take him under. But even in sleep, the blonde's mind continued to focus on the two questions that poked and jabbed at him relentlessly.

What was magic from _this _world doing in the Land of Fire?

And more importantly; did that mean that someone here – someone able to use magic – had the power to send the three shinobi back to their own world?


	4. Chapter 3: Somewhere to Begin

Wooah, this is a long one! I'm surprised at how long these are, I write a lot and then realize that i'm only like, halfway through my outline for the chapter!

Anyways, I hope you guys like it!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to review (its the nice little center blue button at the end of the chapter, you should try it out) and let me know!

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><p>Disclaimer: To own NarutoTrue Blood, or not owning Naruto/True Blood...that is the question. The answer: NO. It's sad, but true.

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><p>Chapter 3: Somewhere to Begin<p>

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><p>The first thing Sakura Haruno became aware of was the fact that she was warm. The air was cool, on the exposed skin of her face and neck, but not uncomfortably so. As her brain slowly began to form more coherent thoughts, she registered the sound of two people sound asleep on either side of her. Her eyes snapped open, and her body jolted with adrenaline as her mind jumped to dangerous conclusions, and with a gasp she branched out her chakra, her chakra flowing and banishing all tiredness from her limbs as she prepared to fight an enemy – the enemy that had created that dizzying light, the light that had made all three of them lose consciousness.<p>

The medic sighed in relief when the chakra signatures of Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake reached her. They were slightly sluggish, which signified that the two were still unconscious. But…there was no enemy chakra in their systems. No poison – the medic checked that with a quick scan of her chakra – no chains. What kind of prison was this, anyway? The young woman coughed slightly as she took a deep breath, and blinked as a dim gold-red sky was revealed for the quickest second. It looked to be sunset outside…but where was this place?

Sakura looked around, wincing at the soreness in her neck as she examined their surroundings. Their prison looked to be a very odd looking room, with awfully colored rugs, a dusty smell that pervaded everything, and a very superfluous amount of oil paintings on the walls. The paintings held stiff faces and rather dim landscapes, all stern and unyielding in their frames.

Naruto sighed in his sleep, and Sakura's attention immediately turned to the blonde. He was sprawled on his sleeping bag, the zipper half undone, leaving his legs to become tangled in a nearby blanket. His face was smooth and peaceful in sleep, and a choking feeling filled the female shinobi's throat as she beheld the childishly innocent trust Naruto had even when unconscious.

It had been years since they had talked. Not just passing words of kindness, but really sat down and _talked_…and Sakura knew it was her fault. She loved Naruto, but something had just pushed him away from her after Sasuke died – tears pricked Sakura's eyes at the memory. Sakura knew that it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but feel angry at how Sasuke had come to his senses because of _Naruto_. That he had sacrificed himself for _Naruto_. How many times throughout the war had Sakura cried and pleaded for Sasuke to stop fighting against them, and how many times had he stood there…cold and unfeeling as he continued to kill the shinobi he had once considered allies?

So many times that Sakura had long since ceased counting.

After two months of being distant and angry, Sakura was tired of it. She had come to terms with herself and her self-worth, and waited for Naruto to approach her once more so she could beg his forgiveness and so that she could move on. But by that point, Naruto had begun to keep his distance. No longer did he stop by her apartment every evening, no longer did he wait for her to end her shifts at the hospital. Sakura had rejected him so many times, just walking by and slamming the door in his face when he came to her house. She was hopelessly selfish; she was hopelessly stupid to treat him that way.

But she had thought he would always wait for her. She thought he could take it.

She had been wrong. Naruto was now shut off from her, and it was clear by the way that he avoided her gaze, and went out of his way to not be on the same mission roster as her, that he was finally at his limit. In snubbing Naruto, she had lost one of the best friends she had.

Renewed anger and shame burst forth at Naruto's blatant disregard, and she began to actively avoid him as well. If he didn't want to see her, then dammit, she would make it seem as though she felt the same. She refused to give in to her guilt; it wasn't as if she was alone in her need to separate herself from their friendship.

The lump in her throat grew, and before she could stop herself, she reached out and touched Naruto's hair, so lightly that she knew he couldn't feel it. His warmth was so familiar, and her mouth opened as if to speak all of her fears and her uncertainties.

But then, the realization that they weren't friends anymore reaffirmed itself in her thoughts.

With a sharp jerk, she turned away, and noticed that Kakashi was awake, his one eye staring up at her with a powerful intensity Sakura had come to recognize over the years. He had seen her touch Naruto's hair. He had seen her bite her lip as she turned away, struggling to hold back tears. Kakashi knew, as he had always known, that Sakura missed the blonde.

Kakashi was Sakura's one constant.

After the war, he had been there for her, and hadn't judged her for her anger against Naruto. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she could call him – at whatever hour – and within a few minutes he was outside her balcony, and would say nothing. He would merely step inside and sit next to her, letting her lean against him and cry. His arm would wrap around her shoulder, and the comfort behind the gesture would make her cry harder.

When Sakura turned to sake, Kakashi did not try and tell her to stop. Instead, he joined her, and made sure she got home okay. Sakura had a horrible feeling that the jounin also knew about her immunity to alcohol – her chakra, having a rare quirk to it that allowed for impossibly complex and strenuous healing, automatically counteracted the effects of alcohol – but if he did, he gave no sign.

Kakashi had become one of her best friends. No longer did she call him by "sensei", for in her eyes, they were equals. But even so…he couldn't replace Naruto, and it tore Sakura apart.

All of these thoughts happened within a span of thirty seconds, and Sakura realized that she was staring. The medic quickly looked away, and flinched when he spoke. It was soft, but the intent behind it was more painful than a scream.

"Sakura, this can't go on. You know that, don't you?"

Sakura jutted her chin out defiantly, ignoring the fact that his words brought tears to her eyes. She hated crying, it just reinforced the idea that she was as weak as everyone thought she was. If she couldn't save a teammate, what kind of medic was she? If she cried in the face of being confronted, what kind of shinobi was she?

"I don't know what you mean, Kakashi," she muttered, and she blinked as Kakashi suddenly knelt before her, his spiky silver hair messy from sleep as he peered into her face. His expression was so serious that she almost felt like a child again, and she scowled, getting to her feet and turning away from him.

"What happened? Where are we?" she asked, making it clear that she had nothing more to say about the subject of her and Naruto's relationship. Kakashi sighed tiredly, and Sakura glanced back to see him get to his feet. His body was lean and strong in a black tank top – mask attached – and baggy pants, and she turned to peer outside, using a single finger to push aside an inch or so of the curtain.

The sun was almost completely hidden beneath the sky, and Sakura stared out at the expansive hills of green, seeing small tombstones scattered in orderly lines, and watching the trees shiver, dark against a beautiful twilight sky. Even though it looked somewhat similar to the hills of Konohagakure, there was something different about this particular place that made Sakura uneasy. Shadows were less solid, and were more encompassing. The air was filled with a strange tingling energy that made Sakura swallow hard. It wasn't chakra…but it had the same feeling behind it. It was more harsh, this strange new energy, more abrasive and wicked.

Far off in the distance was a thin line of lights, and Sakura's attention was turned to it, and she wondered if it was a city. If so, what kind of city was it? In Konohagakure, the stores and homes had lights, but not the jarring electric lights like the ones found in the hospital. They were dimmer, more natural, and yet Sakura found herself staring longingly at these new bright lights, a small part of her aching to investigate.

And then she remembered that they were in enemy territory. It was funny how the thought had slipped her mind. Perhaps it was a result of Naruto's aura of ease as he slept on, without a care or worry.

Kakashi moved to stand beside her, and his eye lazily swung over to examine her face. She was uneasy, not knowing if he was going to continue his earlier interrogation, and was relieved when he didn't.

"It's a very complicated story to tell in the span of one night, Sakura. It seems as though we've been somehow transported to a different world. This part of the world is called the United States, and we appeared in the state – the country is separated into fifty different areas called states – of Louisiana. This city is called Bon Temps, and while you were unconscious we met two individuals who were kind enough to offer us hospitality. Their names are Jessica and Bill, and Bill is the owner of the house. They…"

At this point, Kakashi paused, and his brow furrowed in speculation. Sakura waited patiently for him to continue, and out of the corner of her eye noticed Naruto slowly coming to.

"They call themselves _vampires_," Kakashi went on, more quickly as if to relieve Sakura's immediate confusion. "Vampires are creatures that no longer have a heartbeat – undead, so to speak – and feed on the blood of willing donors to sustain themselves. They used to be hidden from the humans, but a few years ago they came out and showed themselves. Along with eternal life, they are nocturnal, as sun causes them to burst into flames, and it seems that silver is extremely harmful to them. They cannot naturally reproduce, and so they must manually transform humans – through the draining and exchange of blood – in order to maintain their population. In order to kill them, you need to behead them, expose them to the sun, or stab them through the heart. They sleep during the day; so that means that Bill and Jessica should be awake any minute."

"How are they animate?" Sakura asked, for the moment her medical curiosity overpowering her shock. Kakashi shrugged, and said that it had something to do with the contents of their blood. "Are they stronger than us?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I was more than capable of restraining Bill, who is one hundred and seventy-six years old. Bill says that they get stronger as they grow older, so we have yet to test if we can match the strength of vampires of a more considerable age. Their senses are also very powerful, I would wager to say that they're even more acute than those of the Inuzuka clan."

Naruto was fully awake now, and he yawned loudly, stretching and sighing as several joints popped. Kakashi turned to the blonde, and Sakura turned as well, ignoring the fact that Naruto was pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are we going to do now?"

Kakashi sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure. The magic that Bill spoke of seems to be what pulled us into this world, so I _would _say that we investigate. But at the same time…it would be foolish to assume that we could function independently in this place. We are strangers, we know nothing of how this world works."

Sakura frowned – what was magic? – and Naruto nodded, his hands resting on his crossed legs. The sounds of people moving downstairs reached the ears of the three shinobi, and Naruto's eyes flickered to the door before he began speaking in code.

"_So the plan is to learn more about this world, and _then_ search for the magic people? Oh yeah, and we have to baby-sit Jessica, if we want to stay here,_" Naruto said, and Kakashi nodded. Sakura sighed, and her lips turned downward slightly as her hair fell over her shoulder. It was dirty and tangled, and she fished into her bag for her brush. Naruto and Kakashi continued to talk as Sakura released her hair from its ponytail and began untangling it, brushing out most of the dirt caked on to the soft pink strands.

"_It would be best if we didn't tell them of our ideas concerning the magic,_" Kakashi murmured, and Naruto nodded seriously, his eyes glancing at the door once more. If the vampires – what a strange word – really did have amazing senses, they would know that the shinobi were awake.

Sakura finished brushing her hair, and pulled it back into its usual ponytail. Her mind was purring with all of the information that had been thrown at her, and she silently cursed the fact that she had been unconscious for so long. Why had the other two regained awareness so much more quickly than she had? Did it have something to do with the "magic" Kakashi spoke of?

The three moved toward the door, and Sakura fell in at the back, Kakashi leading the way. Naruto hesitated, and turned to look back at her. Sakura paused, staring at him blankly, refusing to let her emotions cloud her expression. Why did he look so sad?

Naruto turned around quickly, and Sakura was left to frown confusedly at his back as the shinobi made their way down the stairs. The wood creaked unsteadily under their feet, and Sakura heard movement in front of them, but her view was blocked by the two tall shinobi before her.

Even if she could've seen over Naruto, it would've been impossible to view the scene, because Kakashi was even taller. Sakura had always known that Kakashi was tall, but she had assumed that most of it was because of her rather small stature – a modest five foot four inches. Naruto had filled out and lengthened a bit more, now standing at six foot one inches. Sakura blinked as the exact number came to her, and then realized that she knew this because she had preformed Naruto's physical only three months earlier.

When the two male shinobi stood next to each other, Kakashi was still a good three inches taller. Sakura scowled, glaring at their backs. Damn them and their genetics, she snarled into the safe recesses of her thoughts.

When they reached the bottom stair, Sakura was finally able to see over the two. There was a dark living room lit by several bright lights as well as a fireplace, and sitting on one of the flowery couches was a ruggedly handsome man with dark brown hair and awful sideburns – Sakura had to admit that her immediate dislike of the things was a bit bias; she disliked facial hair in general. She assumed that this was Bill, and turned her attention to the beautiful girl who sat beside him on the couch. The girl could be no older than eighteen, and her vibrant red hair – it clashed prettily with her porcelain skin – fell to just below her shoulders.

Both people were indisputably different, and yet in their faces Sakura sensed the same inhumane cast. Her chakra branched out unconsciously, and she recoiled when she felt no heartbeat, and no chakra, not even the origins of chakra that were found in most corpses. Kakashi hadn't been exaggerating; they were quite literally _un_dead. And yet as her chakra touched them, she sensed something. It was a thrumming energy, and if she concentrated she could see that the man and the girl were somehow connected. She couldn't describe it, but it was still there, like an invisible chain binding the two together.

The two vampires flinched, and Jessica hissed, a low sound in her throat that made Sakura jump. Never would she have imagined a sound coming from such an innocent looking girl. Bill sent her a glare, and she glared right back at him. Kakashi sent Sakura a look, and Naruto whispered.

"They can feel your chakra, and it hurts them."

Sakura did not respond, but quickly withdrew her chakra, watching the two vampires noticeably relax as she did so. Bill stood as they entered the living room, and Jessica's eyebrows shot up at the sight of Sakura.

"Holy shit, her hair's _pink_!" the vampire said loudly – in a shocking, twanging accent – her bright aqua eyes widening. Bill's mouth dropped slightly, and his nose shifted slightly as he sniffed the air. Jessica was suddenly in front of Sakura, and her movements were so quick that he body was blurred for a moment. Sakura struggled to keep herself still as Jessica peered into her hair, touching it and sniffing.

"Jessica!" Bill barked, and Jessica reluctantly retreated, her eyes bright. Bill growled at her, and turned to Sakura. Approaching her more slowly, as though to reassure her, Bill spoke more gently, with the same accent as the girl's.

"I'm sorry if Jessica startled you…she is very young. My name is Bill Compton," he said, reaching to shake her hand. She shook it, noting how dry and cold it was, and politely supplied her name.

"I'm Sakura Haruno."

Kakashi and Naruto stood behind her, and she could sense how tense they were. Sakura wanted to kick them both for being so protective. Honestly, she could take care of herself. Why was it that no one seemed to understand that?

Jessica stood again, and smiled brightly. Sakura blinked as Jessica approached her again, at the same blinding speed. "Sorry for scaring you earlier, I'm Jessica. Is the hair natural? It smells like it is." Sakura nodded, and Jessica paused, sniffing once more. "Hm…you don't smell as good as they do," the girl stated bluntly, nodding her head toward the two men behind her. Bill sputtered, but Jessica was quick to defend her statement.

"No, no, no, I don't mean that you don't smell good! Honestly, you smell fucking amazing! Better than that girl I smell all over Bill every night, at least," she said, more to Bill than to Sakura. "What I meant is that the other two smell…stronger. Better, in the sense that I get more of their smell. Does that make sense?"

Sakura nodded, surprised to find that it did. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm not offended," she responded with a small smile, and Jessica smiled back. The girl danced back over the couch, and Bill remained standing, smiling at the three shinobi in turn.

"I'm glad you three took me up on my offer to stay."

"It won't be permanent, I assure you. We don't want to inconvenience you," Kakashi murmured, and Jessica piped up indignantly, before Bill could even open his mouth to comment.

"Honestly, I think that Bill should be the one thanking _you_. This house is nasty, but it's nice enough with people living in it. I've been cooped up in here all alone…it'll be nice having actual _people _around."

Kakashi seemed unable to find a suitable reaction to the girl's statement, and so he decided to remain silent. Sakura smirked at the slight hunch of the silver-haired man's shoulders. So she wasn't the only one feeling a little out of place in this strange place called Bon Temps.

Bill's face became more serious, and Sakura immediately felt any sort of humor leave her body. Naruto moved closer to her, and she tried to ignore him, determined not to give him anything to get the upper hand.

"Just a few minutes ago I received a call from Sookie–"

"His girlfriend!" Jessica whispered loudly, and giggled at the look Bill gave her.

"–and she and her friend have just been involved in…in an accident. They found a woman in a car near the town with her heart torn out." Bill's eyes flashed to the shinobi as he spoke, as if testing to see what their reaction would be.

Sakura, for one, was not all that horrified. Worse things had happened in her line of work, and most of them were much more gruesome and bloody than having a heart torn out. She glanced at her fellow shinobi, and was slightly relieved when she saw the same acceptance in both of their eyes. They had seen worse things as well. She wasn't the only one.

Jessica's mouth had dropped open in horror, and Sakura couldn't ignore the pang of guilt that sprung up in response to the girl's expression. Sakura herself had been raised in the life of a shinobi, but it didn't take more than a glance to see that Jessica had not. Everything about the young girl _screamed _innocence; from her slender, less than athletic figure to the bright naivety to her bright and guileless eyes. The life of a vampire sounded equally macabre, and to force such an innocent girl into that lifestyle…it seemed impossibly cruel. It made Sakura wonder if she had chosen this life, or if it had forced upon her.

Kakashi nodded coolly. "I see. How long will you be gone for?" the shinobi asked, his eye flickering to Jessica as he spoke. The man's jaw tightened slightly, but he did not voice the reason for his tenseness. Sakura doubted that anyone besides herself and perhaps Naruto if his attention was more focused on their former sensei – Naruto was too busy looking at Jessica, who was quietly humming a song to herself in a slightly feverish manner – could have discerned Kakashi's discomfort. Her theory was proven when Bill nodded as if nothing was amiss.

"I will be gone for most of the night…until dawn, most likely."

Jessica let out a half-strangled growl at that, and her eyes blazed as she flashed to her feet. "Wait a minute, you can't leave! I'm still awful hungry, and you promised that–"

"I need to go to Sookie, she needs help," Bill reasoned, his voice stern and unyielding. Sakura bristled at that – she had never liked being talked down to as a child, even now, it still irked her when she heard that tone – but kept her tongue. This wasn't her fight.

"But I'm your _Child_! Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?" Jessica shrieked, her eyes welling up with…dark tears? Sakura blinked in shock, and her lips parted in a gasp when the girl began crying thick tears of blood. They stained her cheeks, and she snarled in frustration as she hurriedly wiped them away.

"Oh yeah, I forgot...you were _ordered _to make me. I'm just a stupid little girl who you just can't _wait _to get rid of! Fuck you! I hate you! I wish I had never been born, so I wouldn't have to be killed by _you_!" Jessica hissed, and was upstairs in a flicker of red and black. Her sobs filled the house with their whimpering cries, and Sakura forced herself to remain motionless. Hearing someone cry always tugged at her heartstrings, urging her to heal their pain.

Bill sighed, as though unaffected by the hurtful words Jessica had just thrown at him. Sakura felt incredibly awkward, having witnessed their fight, and wondered if it was normal to have it out in front of guests. In Konohagakure, fights between family and even friends was more private, to avoid getting outside persons involved.

This place was impossibly strange, so Sakura wasn't particularly surprised to see their rather rude behavior.

Bill turned to Kakashi, and a small frown tugged at his lips. "I…I would be eternally grateful if you would watch over Jessica while I am gone."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why are you trusting us so easily? Not complaining, I'm just curious." The vampire smiled at Naruto's question, and Sakura noticed that his teeth were unnaturally white, smooth and gleaming.

"Those around me have suffered enough for my inability to trust others. Perhaps, beginning with this, I can begin to amend my ways. I hope that I am making the right decision in doing so."

And then he was gone, the door swinging for a moment in his haste to leave the premises. The heavy oaken piece swung a few more times, and then settled into the lock with a soft click.


	5. Chapter 4: A Turn For The Worse

Well, here's the next chapter!

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, you guys really made my day!

So, some new (not OCs, don't worry) vampires get thrown into the blender that is this story!

I hope I'm getting the characterization right (I cant stand OOC, it makes me angry)!

Anydoodles, ON WITH THE STORY!

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><p>Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own.<p>

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><p>Chapter 4: A Turn For The Worse<p>

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><p>Naruto let out a sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders were tight and uncomfortable, but no matter how he tried, they refused to loosen. It was extremely inconvenient, and the blonde frowned before abandoning his efforts. Now that Bill was gone, conversation seemed rather unnecessary, seeing as the shinobi knew each other well enough to communicate with silent expressions and posture. Currently, Kakashi was extremely unsure of what to do, as his shoulders were more hunched than usual. Sakura's thoughtful expression neatly juxtaposed Kakashi's nervousness, and Naruto was tempted to smile. Kakashi moved to Sakura's side, peering down into her face, his concern only barely concealed.<p>

"Sakura, are you sure you're alright?"

Sakura nodded, and glanced behind her at the sound of sniffling. Jessica, who had retreated from the upper room, and was sitting on the upper level, staring at them from between the beams of the banister. The skin around her eyes was damp with bloody tears, and it was smudged; the vampire must have tried to wipe them away. Naruto looked at the red-haired girl more carefully, and saw that her fangs were extracted, their sharp tips reminding him of newly sharpened kunai. Many a time – mostly in his clumsier genin years – had Naruto accidentally sliced open his fingers when trying to accurately throw the knives at the target, and so he had a reasonably accurate guess of how sharp a vampire's fangs were bound to be. The blonde glanced at Kakashi, remembering how Jessica had said that she was still extremely hungry, and Kakashi seemed to sense what he was going to say, because he shook his head furiously.

"_No_, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. "Kakashi, it isn't any different from a blood transfusion. I've given lots of those…one more won't do any harm."

"You saw how she tried to attack you earlier, I won't let that–"

"That was because she was hungry, and we," Naruto paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. "apparently smell…really good to her. It's natural, for them anyway. If she feeds, she'll be less inclined to attack us again. I'm stronger than her, I can just push her away when she's had enough."

Sakura glanced up at Jessica, and her mind seemed to be clicking as she thought carefully. Naruto watched his pink-haired teammate anxiously, wondering what she had to say on the subject.

"I'll give her some blood," the medic murmured, and Jessica's eyes widened as she darted down the stairs, a mere blur. Naruto and Kakashi both protested, and Sakura's voice was stern. "I'm the most medically knowledgeable, I'll be able to calculate my blood loss more accurately as well as replenish faster. I also don't smell as tempting as you two, so it'll be easier for her to stop."

Kakashi looked livid as he stood in between the two females, and Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as a sign of disapproval. Jessica was standing by the bottom stair, her hands clutching the wooden banister and her mouth parted as she shook with need. Her eyes were darkening ravenously, and Naruto flickered to he was right in front of her, teeth bared in a snarl – the Kyuubi's influence resulted in Naruto often expressing emotions in more primitive, animalistic ways.

"If you hurt her…" he hissed, leaving the rest of his threat open to her imagination. Jessica swallowed hard, her eyes flickering up to meet Naruto's fierce gaze. Naruto was too focused on Sakura's safety to perceive it at the time, but later, he would note to himself that Jessica was taller than most of the women he knew – the top of her head was level with his eyes.

Sakura had apparently managed to argue down Kakashi – Naruto never really understood how she was able to do it; Kakashi was the master of intimidation – and was waiting behind Naruto, her aura irritated at the actions of her teammates. Naruto huffed a breath of reluctance, and slowly stepped to the side. Jessica grinned at Sakura, and hesitantly offered a hand. Sakura took it quickly, almost as if to completely rebel against Kakashi and Naruto's concern, and the vampire chattered happily as she led the two of them to the nearest couch – Naruto and Kakashi hovering behind.

"Thank you so so so much, Sakura! I've had tons of practice; y'see, I lived with some _real _vampires before Bill took me back. Eric and Pam are mean, but at least they didn't tell me what to do all the time. Pam taught me how to feed, and when to stop. So don't worry, I won't hurt ya."

Sakura nodded, though Naruto could tell from the tenseness of her jaw that the medic was slightly nervous as she asked, "How does this work, exactly?"

Jessica sat, and gently pulled Sakura so that she sat close beside her. "Well, you just sit with your back to me, and I'm gonna bite…right here," Jessica chirped, tracing her finger along the jugular vein in Sakura's slender neck. The girl's hands clenched at the vampire's touch, and Naruto wildly wondered why they were agreeing to give Jessica the pink-haired woman's blood in this in the first place. And why, oh _why_, was Sakura being so calm about all of this? The blonde's eyes flashed to Kakashi, and he felt more justified in his confusion in seeing Kakashi's tense form, ready to pounce if anything went wrong.

Jessica was practically quivering in desire as she slowly lowered her mouth to Sakura's neck. Naruto had to forcibly grab the back of the single armchair to prevent his hands from ripping Jessica's form away from Sakura, and his lips were tight. Kakashi was more composed, and Naruto envied his self-control.

Sakura took deep breaths, and Naruto saw a flash of fang before Jessica quickly sank her fangs into the lightly tanned skin of Sakura's neck. Sakura jumped, and Jessica's hands gripped the girl's shoulders in order to keep her immobile. The gross sound of sucking and slurping filled Naruto's ears as Jessica drank Sakura's blood.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi murmured, his eye dark and unmoving as it remained locked onto Sakura's face.

Sakura, who had closed her eyes when Jessica bit down, nodded slightly. Then, she swallowed, trying not to jostle her neck to much, speaking into the silence – the almost silence, seeing as Jessica's feeding was less than quiet.

"It's not that bad, actually. It was just a little pressure, and then…the blood mostly flows out on its own, so there's not much sucking involved. I – aah!" Sakura let out an involuntary gasp as Jessica's head bent in order to bite deeper, and Naruto wasn't sure whether it was out of pain or…was that pleasure? Naruto's stomach twisted at the thought. No, Sakura wasn't like that…or was she? Sakura relaxed, and the minutes ticked by sluggishly as the shinobi waited for Jessica's hunger to be sated.

Suddenly, there was a presence at the door, and Kakashi was before the wood in a second, a kunai out and his feet spread in a defensive stance. Jessica lifted her head reluctantly, her mouth dripping with blood. Naruto couldn't stop staring at the two, and the deep resounding fierceness that was present in Jessica's eyes. It was strangely fascinating, and Naruto was only barely able to tear himself away. Sakura quickly stood, but swayed as the blood loss went to her head. The medic brushed aside Jessica's hands of assistance, and quickly set about to healing the puncture wounds in her neck, as well as using a technique to replenish her lost blood.

A drawling voice was heard from the other side of the door, and Jessica's face melted into recognition at the sound.

"Open the door, Jessica, I know you've got three delectable humans in there without supervision. No use hiding them from me."

Kakashi's posture stiffened, and Jessica pushed past him. "It's alright, its just Pam."

"Who's she?" Naruto asked, and the door opened before anyone could answer him. There stood another vampire – the smell of earth and old blood was strong, though slightly less so than Bill's scent, and so Naruto assumed that this vampire was younger than Bill – with honey-brown hair and a sickly sweet smile on her strong-featured face. Naruto flipped out a kunai, and the vampire smirked as if Naruto was a teenage boy who was trying to act tough in front of a girlfriend. That smug smile made Naruto's skin itch in irritation, but he was used to controlling his emotions, and so none of his anger was shown on his face.

"Oh! Eric told me to follow the depressing Bill, and I thought it would be hopelessly boring, as always. But mmhmm…you three smell simply _divine_. I wonder which I'll taste first. The questioning can wait," she hissed, her eyes lingering over Sakura's pink hair with intense amusement in her gaze. Then, those eyes trailed down to where a few spots of blood still remained on the medic's skin. Fangs clicked out with a flourish, and Kakashi flashed so he was in front of the medic, his kunai grim and dangerous – but not nearly as lethal as the glare the older jounin gave in response to the vampire's appraisal. Naruto positioned himself in front of Kakashi, ready to face this new vampire.

Jessica shook her head furiously, trying to warn Pam. "No, Pam, they're–"

Pam's never left Naruto, and she spoke, not sparing Jessica a glance. "Quiet down, sugar. Let Auntie Pam enjoy her meal…I'm hungry…"

Naruto snarled before he could restrain himself, and Pam let out a tinkling laugh, letting out a playful growl of her own. The vampire flashed forward, and Naruto's chakra flared, and he sighed as he easily sidestepped the woman's attack. Pam's shock was almost comical, and her lips turned downward as she flipped out a fist. The vampire's technique was much better than Jessica and Bill's had been, but she was lazy – that much was clear from her speech – and she obviously had not been extensively taught. Naruto grabbed Pam soundly by the shoulders, and tossed her from the house, his blood pumping furiously and a grin crossing his lips.

It had been too long since his last battle, and he planned to make this one last.

Kakashi was talking to Sakura, but Naruto wasn't paying attention. He leisurely descended the stairs, shaking out his shoulders in preparation for the attack Pam was sure to have coming. Sure enough, the moment his feet touched the grass, Pam was leaping from behind, her eyes blazing with humiliation and rage. Naruto ducked, and quickly sent a foot solidly into her stomach, sending her flying upward. The vampire managed to stabilize herself, and she scowled at the state of her dress – which Naruto just noticed was white, with a black ribbon tied around the waist. Now, it was dirt smeared and a few tufts of grass still clung to the shoulder where she had fallen.

"This dress was Chanel, you fucking piece of shit!" Pam snarled, her hands curving into claws, and Naruto grinned at her state of distress over a simple _dress_. It reminded him of Ino – the familiar pang of loss, as he remembered that she was dead and gone. No, he wouldn't think of those things. He had a fight to win.

Naruto ducked again, and yet something was off in his reaction time. He cursed his lack of attention when he felt Pam get a hold of his arm, and slammed him into the ground. His back hit a sharp rock, and he held back a yelp, and a groan left him as Pam's fist appeared to him before it solidly collided with his mouth, making blood well up in his mouth. Naruto quickly went limp, pretending to give up. Pam smirked, foolishly relaxing and moving off of him, giving him room to manuver.

"Serves you right, you miserable–"

Naruto jerked up with his elbow, slamming into the vampire's nose, which he felt break with a chilling snap. Pam's shriek was cut off as he flipped them, and Naruto was pinning her to the ground, his teeth bared as he held her there. Blood dripped down from his split lip, and Pam's nose flared as a few drops fell on her lips. She licked them slowly, and her eyes widened for a split second before settling into a lazy smirk.

"Ah, so that's why…"

Naruto glared, pressing his kunai against her throat. Before he could speak, however, he felt an overwhelming presence behind him, and suddenly an icy hand was on his neck, and he was sent flying into the brick wall leading up to the house. Naruto's lips parted in pain as his muscles protested, and before he could orient himself the same icy hand lifted him again by his neck, and Naruto was immediately overpowered by the power exuded from the incomer. The smell of earth was choking, and Naruto clawed at the hand desperately.

Naruto felt sweat beading and dripping down his face as he struggled to unclench the hand around his neck, and his eyes widened to take in the person choking him. It was another vampire – blonde, tall, and much older than both Pam and Bill. The confidence exuding from him was suffocating, and the vampire didn't even bother baring his fangs, merely examining Naruto mildly.

"What is this, Pam?"

Naruto bristled, indignant at being considered a mere "thing", and redoubled his efforts. Charka bubbled up inside of his hands as he used all of his strength to pry a few fingers from his neck. The vampire was shocked, that much was clear, when Naruto managed to get the vampire's hand almost completely separate from his neck. Naruto felt his chakra sapping as the vampire suddenly clenched down harder, and Naruto felt black spots flitting across his vision.

"Dammit…" Naruto gasped, and gave one last feeble kick, his eyes clenching shut as he opened his mouth as wide as it would go. Air…no air...skin cold…no…

Just as the darkness was about to overcome him, Naruto felt Kakashi's chakra collide into the new vampire, and Naruto was thrown once more, the air rushing into his lungs and his vision clearing–

A sharp burst of pain as his head collided with something solid, and a blinding white flash erupted before Naruto's eyes before settling into complete blackness.

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><p>Kakashi glanced over as Naruto went limp, and stared coldly at the new vampire. He knew, somehow, that this was the impossibly old Sheriff that Bill had spoken of. The vampire simply <em>was <em>old, his skin having a dim glow that shined with wisdom and arrogance. The vampire stared at Kakashi with cold eyes, and a smug smirk twisted his lips upward.

"How interesting..."

Kakashi did not respond to the comment, instead barking. "Your Child attacked first, my teammate was only defending himself. Leave, now." Kakashi had noticed the same bond between Pam and this vampire as he had with Jessica and Bill, though Pam and the Sheriff's bond was slightly weaker.

The vampire's fangs clicked down, and in a blur the vampire was in front of Kakashi, and the two, being the same height, stared evenly into each other's eyes. Kakashi flicked up his headband, and the blonde vampire's eyes flickered to the bright crimson of the Sharingan before becoming even.

"I do not take kindly to orders, human."

"A trait that results from your own lack of humility. That is not my problem," Kakashi snipped, and immediately regretted his lapse in control. He was acting like a child, and the jounin steeled himself as the vampire raised a brow.

The two stared at each other, daring the other to act. The vampire breathed deep, and his eyes narrowed as he glanced back to where Pam, Jessica, and Sakura were standing. Pam was scowling, brushing dirt off of her dress, while Jessica had her hands over her mouth in horror. Sakura was kneeling beside Naruto, gently turning him into his back and examining his injuries, her sea-foam eyes daggers of resentment that were aimed at the vampire currently facing off against Kakashi.

The vampire seemed to come to a decision, and slowly took a step back, retracting his fangs with a jerk of his upper jaw. Pam mimicked him, and Kakashi slowly lowered his weapon, understanding the gesture of neutrality that was being exuded.

The Sheriff smiled lazily, and gestured for Pam to come closer. "Come, Pam, and let's introduce ourselves," he called, his tone light and seemingly casual. But Kakashi could discern the tenseness behind it. That made two of them. Kakashi didn't trust this vampire, and only lowered his weapon to waist level, still keeping a tight grip on the handle.

"I'm _not_ speaking to that pathetic human."

The Sheriff said something in a different language, his face stern, and Pam glared at the man before reluctantly turning to Kakashi. "Pam, at your service," she growled, and the man dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She retreated to the brick stairs, turning her back on Kakashi and her master.

"I am Eric Northman, Sheriff of this area. And who might you three be?" he asked, his eyes including Sakura and Naruto in his gaze. Kakashi stiffened, and Eric nodded in understanding. "I can see that you are a man of caution, as I am. I apologize for the actions of my progeny; she can be careless at times. I felt her fear and I came immediately, not stopping to consider that she was the perpetrator. She will be punished, I assure you. Now, who are you?"

Kakashi sighed, hating how there were no other options that could get the three of them out of this situation, and curtly gave the man their names, nothing more. Eric sensed that Kakashi was withholding information, for he became slightly less polite as he spoke.

"As Sheriff of Area Five, I must require that you state how you came to be in Bon Temps…and what species of supernatural you are. You are not completely human…and from your scent, you are not from anywhere remotely close to this place."

Kakashi didn't respond, and Eric snapped his fingers at Jessica. "You will tell Bill that his three guests are coming for questioning," he barked, and Jessica immediately flared at that.

"Hey, no way! I can't be home alone! What if…what if…uh…I just can't be here alone, okay? Please let me come!"

Eric rolled his eyes, but his lack of rebuttal was seemingly taken as an affirmative, because he did not protest when Jessica darted over to Sakura, helping support Naruto on his other side. Sakura had gotten the boy onto his feet, and her hands rested on the blonde's back, her eyes trained on him. The blonde shinobi was blinking and slightly woozy, but was recovering quickly thanks to Sakura's treatment.

The older jounin felt a pang of relief, and let his gaze drift to the two strange vampires that were striding away from the house. Kakashi did not immediately follow, and Eric tilted his head back to smile at Kakashi once more, in a way that made the air around them seem at least ten degrees cooler. It was a cold, calculating smile, one of fierce authority.

"If you care at all for the wellbeing of your friend Mr. Compton and his Child, you would do well to accompany me. We have much to discuss."


	6. Chapter 5: Oh Baby

Hello all! Kay, I don't know if its just a MacBook Pro thing, but this site has been a real butt lately; every single chapter I have to copy and paste, and then add in little x thingys to replace the lines separated POVs. It's SO FRUSTRATING! So if format is a little wonky, please don't blame me. I tried my best, it's the stupid site's fault.

I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclamer: **I do not own Naruto or True Blood. I wish college apps were one-liners like that. But alas, it is required that we seniors lose our bloody minds at the blandness, stressness, and boringness of online college apps. Gah!

-x-X-x-

Chapter 5: Oh Baby

-x-X-x-

Sakura could feel Jessica's eyes on her, and resisted the temptation to meet the redhead's gaze. She was slightly unnerved by the copious amount of drying blood present on the young vampire's face, even though in her line of work she had seen far more gore. Perhaps it was the fact that Jessica had purposely swallowed and enjoyedSakura's blood that disturbed her so much – never had Sakura witnessed such a sight, even after years of being a field-medic.

But that wasn't the only reason that Sakura refused to meet Jessica's eye.

The medic was just as ignorant to why the blonde, impossibly old vampire chose this day to investigate the arrival of the three shinobi. Bill had assured them that the "Sheriff" – such an odd-sounding title of authority – wouldn't be alerted to their presence for a few weeks; and yet here they were, being oh-so-cheerily escorted to the establishment of said vampire. Had Bill been spitting random assumptions to appease their suspicion, or was it just coincidence that Eric Northman had sent his Child – Pam, her name was – to follow Bill the very night that he left to check on his lover?

The pink-haired shinobi couldn't be sure, and even if she did have some half-formed theories, she had no inclination to share them, least of all with the excitable vampire who was running alongside her now. Sakura was still wary around the girl, and was determined to keep her innermost thoughts safe inside of her mind.

Naruto was running by himself, completely healed, and it took everything Sakura had to keep her distance. She wanted to run beside him, put a hand on his arm, and make sure that he was really okay. But she didn't, because…

Sakura didn't even know why, not anymore.

The air was humid, and Sakura's mouth crinkled in discomfort at the unaccustomed thickness to the air. It smelled of overcooked chicken and concrete, along with a harsh chemical undertone that grew stronger as they ran. Sakura's chakra pushed her faster, until she was running alongside Kakashi, and the two did not speak as they continued to follow the vampires. The undead preferred to run on the ground, and the shinobi preferred to run in the thick of the trees, and Sakura mildly considered the juxtaposing preferences.

It was becoming obvious that vampires were considered among the strongest creatures in this world, and so they ran with confidence, not comprehending the threat that running in plain sight offered. The shinobi, on the other hand, were more cautious, knowing the peril that came with being out in the open. It was interesting, to say the least. Both parties were among the most powerful in their individual worlds, and yet their attitudes were indisputably different.

Kakashi sent a quick glance in her direction, and she met his gaze evenly, without expressing any of her fear or anxiety. Kakashi nodded to Naruto, a questioning quirk to his eyebrows, and Sakura nodded in answer. Naruto was fine; her expression communicated this effectively. Kakashi seemed pleased to hear this, because he sent her a smile – more accurately known as an eye-crinkle. Sakura sighed, and tensed as the sound of her forceful exhalation caught the attention of the vampire Sheriff. Eric, not changing his pace or gait, glanced back at her.

The vampire had eyes the color of the ocean in a storm. Rich blue, with hints of gray and an overall shadowy glare to them that demanded respect. The eyes of a shinobi are especially keen, and so Sakura was able to easily observe the form of Eric Northman even in the dimly lit woods. He was unmistakably handsome – gorgeous, even with his braided hair – but Sakura had seen hundreds if not thousands of physically attractive men in her line of work. Unlike some kunoichi – Sakura felt her heart clench at the memory of Ino's mischievous grin as she shamelessly flirted with men at the bar – Sakura wasn't completely swayed by physique. Sculpted biceps and washboard abdominals were nice and all, but they weren't nearly as important as other things – things like the ability to start and maintain an intelligent conversation, the ability to think of others besides themselves, etc.

And so, even in the face of Eric Northman, Sakura remained wary and untrusting. Looks were often used as weapons, and Sakura knew without having to ask that Eric was accustomed to humans succumbing to him based on his intimidating – and stunning – figure alone.

Eric continued to stare at her, and Sakura was unexpectedly reminded of Jiraiya, the deceased Sannin. Jiraiya had often used his light-hearted and perverted personality as a shield, in order to more safely observe the world around him. In the weeks before his death, Sakura had been present in those moments in Tsunade's office, the moments where Jiraiya's goofy smile had faded, and a cool and calculated look crossed his features instead. It was a look of curious speculation, and Sakura was shocked at how similar the looks of Jiraiya and Eric were.

Sakura looked away, and suddenly, a hulky metal shape roared just a few hundred yards ahead, two lights acting as its eyes, sending beams of yellowy glare into the trees. Sakura let out a gasp, and immediately used her chakra to flicker downward, hiding in a cove of leaves and small branches until the loud metal creature was no longer within earshot. She glanced around, and saw that Kakashi and Naruto had hidden themselves as well. The vampires – Pam and Eric, at least – seemed amused by the reactions of the three shinobi, and Eric paused to face them.

"Why are you hiding, little humans?"

Naruto looked about ready to tear the vampire's head off – Sakura guessed that he was still sore about being defeated earlier – but stood down at a look from Kakashi. Sakura spoke, her voice neutral and calm beside her own rising irritation at the vampire's obvious scorn.

"What was that? We don't have those where we come from…is it alive?"

Pam cackled in delight, and Eric was fighting a smile as he spoke. "That was a car, and it is not alive, no. It is a fuel-powered mode of transportation, and can travel relatively quickly, for humans at least. Nowhere near the speed of a vampire, or those of your kind," he said, smirking wickedly as she emerged from her shelter of leaves and dropped silently to the ground.

Yep, he definitely reminded her of Jiraiya. She would recognize that appreciative leer anywhere. With Jiraiya, at least, Sakura had known that his flirting was harmless; not even the great Toad Sage would dare invoke the terrible wrath of Tsunade by attempting to seduce her young apprentice.

The medic didn't feel the same vibes coming from Eric Northman. His eyes practically ripped her clothes from her body, and…

Sakura cleared her throat, raising her eyebrows at him, clenching her fists together in order to release some of her anger at his blatant appraisal. Sakura wasn't flattered in the slightest; the look hadn't made her feel beautiful, instead, it made her feel like a meaningless prostitute, only useful for a night or two. Eric chuckled, and leaned back, his braid falling over his shoulder. Pam spoke to him in a strange lilting language, and Eric nodded in response, his eyes never leaving Sakura as he spoke.

"We are crossing a highway, also known as a main road in which people – driving cars – travel to various destinations. Cars cannot hope to match our speed, so there's no need to look so worried."

Sakura ground her teeth at his mock-comforting tone, and stole a glance at Kakashi, who was surprisingly calm. But seeing as he was much more experienced and used to taking orders, Sakura wasn't all that surprised. Naruto was standing behind Kakashi, and his eyes were curious as they peered at the black, chemical-laden path that was decorated with various yellow dashes.

If Sakura concentrated, she could see that the dashes made up at least three separate lanes, and she assumed that the cars were supposed to stay within the dashes that made up each lane. The organization actually made sense, when Sakura stopped to analyze it. If Konohagakure had such a system, then perhaps the number of cart collisions could be drastically reduced.

Thinking of her home made it hard to breathe. In order to distract herself, she focused on following Jessica across the highway. The road was made of a strange, black material, and Sakura itched to use her strength to collect a sample. Perhaps she could inspect it more closely…

But there was not the time, and Sakura reluctantly flashed across the road, pausing to make sure that her teammates made it across unscathed before resuming her sprint. They were blurring through a brightly lit city, and Sakura couldn't help but gape at the hugeness and shininess of the buildings, and the blinding lights that seared into the night and provided visibility to those unable to find their way. The buildings held bright colors, and Sakura saw several vampires and humans in stores, smiling and chatting as they examined clothing.

It was so normal, and yet so unfamiliar. The feel of the air was different; the taste of the energy was so unbelievably strange that Sakura didn't know if she could handle it. Scents – sweat, shampoo, musty earth, chemicals, fried food, cotton, sickly sweet and musky perfume, concrete, leather – pulsed into her nose, and she nearly retched with the intenseness of it.

Sakura's village smelled completely different. It did not have a variety of scents that Sakura could name…it simply smelled like _home_.

Sakura looked up as the smell of sex, blood, musty earth, and alcohol hit her, and a club quickly flashed into view. Flashing above the doorway, in luminescent red letters, was the word "Fangtasia".

There was a deathly stillness to the place, and Sakura somehow sensed that the place was not usually this stagnant. Eric smirked at the shinobi, and waved his hand in an overly dramatic gesture.

"Welcome to my humble establishment."

-x-X-x-

The shinobi were seated on a long leather couch, watching as Pam combed through Eric's hair, commenting on how short she should make his hair. Strips of aluminum were fixed onto the stop half of his hair, keeping the highlights separate from the natural dark gold color. Jessica was sitting at Naruto's feet, careful not to make physical contact with the blonde shinobi, her eyes forlorn as they watched Eric and Pam argue.

Naruto sat, staring in shameless disbelief. Not five minutes ago, Eric had ominously alluded to the interrogation that was soon to take place – questions such as where the shinobi hailed from and how they were able to match a vampire's strength. And now, he was complaining to Pam like a child, whining about his highlights.

"I don't _need _them, Pam."

"Yes, you do."

"Pam...I refuse to conform to the idiotic fad of human teenagers."

"Just let me work, alright? If it doesn't look good, I'll abstain for a month."

What Pam would be abstaining from – the smug look on Eric's face gave nothing away – remained a mystery, and Naruto wasn't sure that he wanted that particular mystery to be unveiled. So, he remained silent, and settled for sending Kakashi looks of incredulity. Naruto gave into his need to glance at Sakura, and nearly burst out laughing at the disgruntled set of her mouth. The blonde was seated at the end of the couch, beside Sakura, and before he could stop himself, he whispered to her in code.

"_For some reason, I look at Eric, and all I see is Neji after Lee's promotion party_."

Sakura's expression blanked in shock, and Kakashi shook his head as the two younger shinobi burst out in a fit of snorts and giggles. Jessica glanced back at the three, her aqua-gray eyes struggling to find the source of their amusement.

They were all – even Kakashi was, if the amused eye-crinkle was anything to go by – remembering the results of Lee's jounin promotion party, which had taken place nearly five years ago. The Rookie Nine became…rather intoxicated, and went on to highlight Neji Hyuuga's hair – the jounin's weapon-wielding girlfriend had carefully spiked his tea, so he was blissfully unaware for the duration of the treatment.

How nine drunken shinobi managed to subdue the Hyuuga genius _and _successfully highlight said shinobi's hair was still beyond Naruto's realm of understanding, but he knew better than to question it.

It gave the attendees of the early morning jounin meeting quite a shock when Neji walked into the room, his dark hair streaked with pale blonde. And, being sensible and upstanding shinobi, everyone present proceeded to point and laugh until tears were streaming down their faces. Neji's day – already darkened with his state of being mysteriously hung-over – dwindled into complete humiliation. Never, in the entire history of Konohagakure, had more laughter filled the streets than it did on that day.

Naruto grinned even more broadly at the memory – there was, of course, the twinge of pain in knowing that most of those involved had died in the war. It was a bittersweet recollection, more sweet than bitter, and Naruto had to admit that it felt good to remember the past. There was more to the past than memories of the war.

Sakura tried to contain her laughter, her eyes flickering up to meet his. Her smile faltered somewhat as a glimmer of shock entered her eyes, and it was then that Naruto remembered that Sakura wanted nothing to do with him. The remembrance wiped the grin from his face as quickly and as easily as it had appeared there. Sakura's face slowly shifted into one of cool detachment, though Naruto swore that he saw a flash of hurt come into the girl's eyes before she turned away from him.

Eric gaze was fixed on the two young shinobi, and Pam began snipping away large pieces of the vampire's hair, her eyes intent on her task. It was clear from her posture, however, that she was listening and absorbing every detail of the interaction between her Maker and the three foreigners.

Kakashi cleared his throat, and Naruto was glad when the older jounin spoke.

"Who is Sookie Stackhouse?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto's brows rose in surprise. He hadn't been expecting Kakashi to ask the question so bluntly, but found that he was just as curious as Kakashi was, now that the question was verbally addressed. They had been compared to Sookie Stackhouse – the name made Naruto chuckle – many times, and yet the most they had been told about her was that she was Bill's girlfriend.

Eric's face remained impassive, his voice perfectly calm as he responded, "She is Bill's human. Other than that, I know very little about her."

Pam gave her Maker a look, almost too quick for Naruto to catch, and then made her face as expressionless as Eric's.

Naruto's ability of sensing emotions allowed him to perceive the true reaction of the vampire: surprise at the sudden mention of her, lust, and fierce reluctance. Eric was trying to push down his feelings toward Sookie Stackhouse…but why? What was he hiding?

"Well, _that's_ a lie." Naruto muttered, meeting Eric's glare without flinching. The vampire's fangs clicked, and the blonde shinobi nearly rolled his eyes at the petty intimidation tactic.

"How are you so sure?" Eric's tone was relaxed, but the look in his eyes dared Naruto to respond with less than a full explanation. Naruto looked to Kakashi for permission, and Kakashi tilted his head to the side, nodding as he did so – the unspoken signal to reveal nothing about the ability that being Jinnchuriki of the Nine-Tailed-Fox gave him.

"Lucky guess. I'm pretty good at reading expressions, and the look Pam gave you kind of gave it away," Naruto said, shrugging lightly. Eric sent Pam a murderous glare, and the younger vampire scowled in response. Jessica glanced back at Naruto, and he frowned at the glowing smile she gave him.

Eric retracted his fangs, and Naruto gratefully directed his attention toward the vampire when he began to speak.

"Miss Stackhouse is…a commodity. She is an employee of sorts, her ability to read the minds of humans is very useful," Eric carefully stated, and Naruto was surprised that the vampire was being so open with them. He must have realized that hiding the woman would only lead to more questions, and with Naruto's ability, would prove impossible after a time.

Sakura nodded without comment, and Kakashi looked reasonably accepting of the information. Naruto wasn't all that surprised; the Yamanaka clan was known for their mind-related techniques, and mind reading was one among many. It really wasn't _that_ much of a commodity; at least, it wasn't back home. Judging by the look on Jessica's face, such abilities apparently weren't as common here in this world.

"Are you serious? She can read _minds_?" Jessica gasped, and Pam let out a deep sigh of irritation at the redhead's loud manner of expressing herself.

"Yes, sugar, she can. Now if you please, just sit there and look pretty while us grown-ups talk," the vampire drawled, and bared her fangs when Jessica made to protest. The younger vampire pouted, but settled down after accepting the fact that arguing would get her nowhere. Naruto was grateful for the silence; Jessica grated against his nerves with her loud and jarring lack of a censor. Pam went back to cutting Eric's hair, which was shaping to be much shorter and neater than it had been originally.

Eric frowned slightly. "Is mind reading considered normal where you come from? Most humans are surprised when they learn of a telepath."

Kakashi folded his hands together. "Our village is made up of numerous clans, all of which have a unique trait or skill that sets them apart from regular shinobi – shinobi are soldiers, in a way. One such clan specializes in techniques involving the mind, and one of their abilities uses chakra to read minds," Kakashi explained, and quickly went on at the look Eric gave Naruto. "Naruto is not a member of that clan; his ability is something else entirely."

Eric was quiet for a moment or two, and the room was tense and still as the Sheriff processed this information. "I see. And what is this 'chakra' you speak of? I have heard the term spoken in my travels to India, but at the time it was of no interest to me, and so I did not look into it."

Naruto wanted to groan at the question. It was like Bill all over again! And that explanation took over three hours. The blonde shinobi did not particularly care to go through _that_ again. Kakashi seemed to share Naruto's sentiment, because he kept his explanation as short as possible, no more than five minutes in length.

Luckily for them, Eric was not like Bill, who interrupted after every sentence. The Sheriff did not even question that they were from another world, which was a relief. Eric seemed to have assumed that – having observed their wariness and lack of knowledge concerning this world – the shinobi knew next to nothing concerning the reasons or mechanisms behind their transportation.

"…through the chakra channels, and it then becomes ours to wield in a number of ways," Kakashi finished, and Sakura smiled slightly at the silence that met Kakashi's explanation. Eric and Pam were silent and deadpan, and Jessica suddenly shivered, her eyes widening as something deep shuddered through her frame. The redhead glanced around, confused and disconcerted, and when no one paid any attention to her, she stammered.

"Um, Eric? I think Bill is callin–"

Eric waved a hand for her to be silent, and leaned forward, ignoring Pam's hiss of protest at the movement – it forced her to move forward to make sure the ends were even. Jessica contemplated speaking up, but wisely chose to remain silent.

"So this 'chakra' explains why you are able to match the strength of my progeny?"

Sakura spoke up, "No, actually. Naruto wasn't using any chakra when he fought Pam, and he beat her easily." Naruto felt a glow of warmth at the obvious praise. Sakura continued, "Shinobi, from the moment they're born, are physiologically more advanced than a regular citizen. Contrary to popular belief in our world, not everyone has the ability to become shinobi. If they aren't born with the potential, training them is practically useless. That's why children aiming to become shinobi are required to see a medic-nin before they apply for the four-year shinobi Academy. It's so the medic can see if they have the physical adaptations. By the time they're eight years of age, the chakra coils present in a potential shinobi have matured far beyond those of an ordinary citizen. If the child's chakra coils are matured, and their body shows signs of advancement, they are allowed to enter the Academy. If not, the medic explains why they do not qualify, and the child goes home."

Kakashi coughed into his hand, and Sakura flushed, realizing that she was wandering farther and farther away from the initial inquiry. With a purse of her lips, she addressed Eric's question.

"With chakra, Naruto was able to withstand your grip. And his strength boosted with regular chakra isn't all that impressive in shinobi standards. I'd wager that with chakra, I could overpower you. You're faster than I am, so it'd take some work to get a hold of you, but if I did that…I'm sure I could beat you." she said, her fingers tapping against each other as she speculated. Eric smirked, glancing meaningfully at the delicateness to her frame. Sakura flared at his cynicism; she hated being underestimated because of her size.

"You can't be serious," Pam snipped, and Naruto smiled, choosing to remain silent rather than responding to the vampire's arrogant statement. Eric, surprisingly, was thoughtful as he noted the lack of uncertainty from the two male shinobi.

"Would you like to put that to the test, Miss Haruno?" he asked, playfully, lightly, as if talking to a child. Sakura smiled tersely, forcing politeness into her response.

"I would, Sheriff."

"Pam, we will continue after this is done," Eric murmured, and Naruto noticed that Eric's hair was completely cut, the aluminum pieces still present. Pam looked like someone had asked her to suck on a lemon wedge, but didn't dare verbalize her discontent. The brown-haired vampire stepped away from the chair, setting her scissors down on the counter of the small office area. In a flash, all of the hair present on the floor was cleared away, and Pam was standing at the door, holding it open. Eric strode through it, and the shinobi quickly followed behind.

They walked into what was obviously a club, but it was structured quite differently than clubs in Konohagakure. In their village, clubs were places for people to mingle and socialize, with lots of upbeat dancing and a buffet. The lights were slightly dimmed, and the overall atmosphere was pleasant and casual.

This club, _Fangtasia_, was almost the complete opposite. The only thing the two had in common was the bar had alcohol stacked on the wall behind it.

The club the shinobi were standing in now reminded Naruto of a strip club – Jiraiya dragged him there for his fifteenth birthday; they had been in Tea Country at the time. Dark material covered the walls, and there were bright red tables scattered along the floor, along with some chairs surrounding small stages with poles erected in the center. A much larger stage dominated the far western half of the room, and had a regal looking throne set before another dancing pole. Merchandise plastered with the _Fangtasia _logo was set up near the entrance of the club, all behind thick glass. Bright lights filled the room at present, though Naruto was sure that when customers were present, the lights were much less jarring and more seductive.

"How do you usually test such strength?" Eric asked, leaning against a table, and Naruto couldn't quite hold back a snicker of anticipation. Kakashi sighed, and Sakura looked positively gleeful as she gestured to the very table that Eric was leaning against. Eric looked perplexed as he looked at the table.

"I do not wish to destroy my property, Miss Haruno. There are some blocks of concrete outside–"

Sakura shook her head, and held up a hand, wiggling her fingers ever so slightly. "No, no, I'm not talking about _hitting _the table…I'm talking about arm wrestling. You want to know who's physically stronger…let's find out. I'll use my chakra, and you just give it your best shot, okay?"

Eric's eyes narrowed at Sakura's tone, and without another word he slid into the chair at the table, leaning one elbow against the polished surface. Sakura grinned, and quickly sat, putting her own elbow on the table. Naruto leaned forward excitedly, eyes riveted on the two. Sakura was going to win, no doubt, and seeing Eric's face would prove most entertaining.

Kakashi leaned against the bar, only a foot or so away from Pam, and although the two didn't acknowledge each other, or spare a glance in the other's direction, Naruto sensed that they both equally exasperated by the turn of events, and were determined to stay out of the present activities.

Sakura glanced at Naruto, her eyes cooling as they met his. "Naruto, will you count us off?" she asked, and Naruto tried not to let his emotions show on his face.

Back in the room, when they were laughing, Naruto had felt, if only for a second, that everything would be okay. Sakura would smile at him like she used to, Naruto would laugh and hug her, and they would be friends again. But then, her smile had faded, and she seemed to regret that she had ever engaged him in the first place. To know that even after laughing together, nothing had changed…it made Naruto want to take Sakura by the shoulders and shake her until she saw sense. But of course, the time for confrontation had passed long before this point. They had settled into a pattern, and once a pattern is followed for years on end, it becomes almost impossible to change the formation.

Naruto nodded curtly, and the seated individuals grasped hands. Eric's hand was so large compared to the medic's that it seemed to swallow it whole, and the vampire's smirk tilted more prominently upward at the sight. Sakura's determination did not falter or weaken, and Naruto sensed the chakra rushing to the muscles in her arm. Eric frowned at the sensation of feeling the chakra against his skin, but quickly focused instead of commenting on it. The blonde shinobi glanced at each in turn before speaking.

"Begin on my count. Three. Two," Naruto began, and Eric and Sakura leaned forward slightly, eyes locked, Sakura's chakra flaring in preparation.

"One. _Go_!"

There was a split second of resistance–

The door to the club opened – Eric and Sakura were too busy battling to spare a thought or glance – and Bill Compton stood there, looking absolutely livid, followed by a curvy blonde woman with big blue eyes. Jessica, who had been silent since that moment in the office, flinched guiltily when she caught sight of her Maker.

–and then Eric's hand came crashing down onto the surface of the table.


	7. Chapter 6: Where Is The Love?

Hello!

I was having a bit of trouble with this chapter – I wrote one thing, and deleted it cuz it was rushing the characters. Wrote something else, deleted that too. So please tell me what you think, I want to make sure I'm keeping everything realistic.

I recently put another story out, it's an Inheritance Cycle story (the awesome dragon books by Paolini) and I'd really appreciate it if y'all could check it out. It's called _Entwined_.

Also, I was writing the last part of this chapter, listening to Pandora, and suddenly **The Love We Had Before**, by _Fireflight_, came on. It was crazy how PERFECT the song was for that particular part! I highly recommend looking up the lyrics, they pretty much DEFINE the end of this chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Yeah, I definitely own Naruto and True Blood. Of course I have three separate identities, and constantly use the wonders of makeup to appear as three _completely_ different people. I'm just that awesome. Hahaha – NOT! I own absolutely nothing.

-x-X-x-

Chapter 6: Where Is The Love?

-x-X-x-

"Eric, you had no right–" Bill angrily hissed, but trailed off when he saw that Sakura's hand was currently pinning Eric's to the table. The dark haired vampire's jaw dropped, and his eyes were wide as the reality of the situation dawned on him. The young woman behind Bill was standing somewhat to the side, her arms crossed over her chest as she inspected each individual present. Her eyes lingered on Jessica; a deep frown marring her brow. The woman's eyes narrowed in resentment, flickering toward her companion, but Bill was too busy gaping at the scene before him to notice.

Kakashi assumed that the blonde woman was Sookie Stackhouse, and took the next few moments of silence to inconspicuously study her. Two vampires had taken significant interest in her, Kakashi was curious to what was so special about the woman.

Sookie Stackhouse's wavy, silvery blonde hair fell loosely to just below her shoulders, and framed her heart-shaped face. Her face was smooth, free of any distinguishing marks and her eyebrows – they were a shade or two darker than the hair on her head – curved softly over sky-blue orbs. Sookie was reasonably fit, with a particularly curvaceous and richly tanned figure, as was clearly demonstrated in her tight shorts and low cut white shirt. Kakashi couldn't be sure unless he stood next to her, but he wagered that this woman was a few inches taller than Sakura.

Kakashi shifted as Sookie fixed her steely gaze upon him, and he was immediately reminded of Sakura – the two shared a similarly calculating stare. Sookie seemed to be sizing him up, and he offered her a smile. She did not smile back, but that could be because she wasn't able to see the jounin's smile underneath his mask. Kakashi was so used to people deciphering his mask-expressions that it was a shock to see his "obvious" smile met with such stony indifference.

Sakura was smirking, and she slowly rose from her seat. Eric looked thoroughly shell-shocked, and his eyes followed her as she stood. The vampire's mouth was slightly open, and Pam let out a snort of laughter at the sight. Sakura seemed ready to say something, but thought better of it after a second or two. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked over so she was standing next to Kakashi, ignoring his stern frown of disapproval. An _arm-wrestling _match? That was a new low, even for the ceaselessly competitive Sakura Haruno.

Granted, Eric had purposely riled her up, but in Kakashi's eyes the blame rested more strongly with Sakura; she had been trained to resist such obvious stimuli, and yet she had still risen to the vampire's bait.

But she was an adult, and so Kakashi did not verbally reprimand, as he would have done had they been student and teacher. Even in the face of her unpredictable temper and stubborn nature, Kakashi still held her in the highest regard. She was his best friend; the person who knew him irrevocably and without question. Not even Obito – Kakashi felt a twinge of guilt and wrenching pain – had known Kakashi in that way.

Sakura moved closer to him, leaning her elbows on the bar. A wave of Sakura's scent – she wore no perfume, and yet Kakashi found that Sakura's smell was so distinct that it practically _was _a kind of perfume – washed over him as her long ponytail brushed against his shoulder. Her sea-foam eyes had lost some of their enthusiasm and were now focused on Sookie Stackhouse. The buxom blonde was standing uncertainly in the center of the room, her hands shaking ever so slightly.

Then, Kakashi remembered that Sookie had recently witnessed a body with its heart torn out. No wonder Sakura was looking so sympathetic; the woman was relatively innocent in terms of gore. There was wisdom to the woman's eyes that let Kakashi know that she wasn't entirely naïve; it was the look that the jounin had seen on many a shinobi after returning from their first assassination assignment. So…Sookie had killed? Kakashi wondered how such a delicate, pretty creature could possibly cause any prominent damage to a person, and then chuckled at his own hurried judgments, stealing a glance at the kunoichi beside him.

_Sakura_ was delicate and prettier than Konohagakure in spring. It really wasn't fair, how misleading her appearance was. Someone so innocent-looking should _not _be gifted with a volatile temper, wicked imagination, and terrifying strength to boot. It didn't make _any_ logical sense, and Kakashi was usually very good at making logical excuses for illogical things – such as why he was, on average, three hours late to every genin training session.

Eric seemed to be lost in thought, and everyone else stood around in silence, rather lost in how to move forward in terms of interaction. Jessica frowned, chewing her lower lip between her teeth, seeming to struggle in the task of finding something to talk about; anything to break the tense silence that reigned over the congregation of vampires and humans. Bill blinked, remembering that he was supposed to be impossibly angry. With a cough, he began again, forcing his features into a harsh snarl.

"Eric, you had no right–"

Sookie snorted. "Oh, that's rich, comin' from you, Bill," her high voice twanged irritably. Bill gave her a pleading look, and the blonde crossed her arms, not looking the least bit mollified.

_That_ got Eric's attention. The blonde vampire's head lifted eagerly at Sookie's irritated tone, and a smug smirk crossed his lips; the human's annoyance at Bill obviously pleased him. In an instant, the uncertainty was gone from Eric's form and arrogance was once more present. The first image that came to Kakashi's mind at the sight was a buck that has just spotted a doe in heat. The creature's chest would puff, its head would jerk upward in order to more properly display its antlers.

Naruto sighed, and tiredly sank into a chair on Kakashi's other side, as far from Sakura as possible. Kakashi saw Sakura's expression sour at the active avoidance, and wanted to smack each of them over the head, as he would have done had they been genin.

Sometimes, Kakashi really hated being the only one not involved in the argument/falling out. It would have provided something to focus on, rather than being forced to watch, helpless, as two of his friends tip-toed around each other like teenagers. Only instead of their avoidance being a result of a reluctant, mutually shared attraction – Kakashi would have enjoyed the awkward romance, if only for the source of entertainment – it was a result of their inability to sit down and discuss their differences.

Naruto and Sakura were destined to fall in love, or at least, that was what Kakashi had assumed. The path had practically been set for them, and Kakashi was looking forward to some happiness in that regard. According to Naruto, they had even kissed a few times throughout the war, finding comfort in that when all else seemed desolate.

What the jounin hadn't counted on was Sakura's resentment, and Naruto's childish insecurities. At one point, the two were like leaves floating down the same stream. Side by side, keeping pace with each other, touching every now and then, spinning and rejoicing in the shared journey. And then, the stream had forked, and the two had taken abrupt turns, and were now struggling to find the same calm stream of before. The beginning was marked, Kakashi reasoned, by Sakura's jealousy. She had never truly gotten over Sasuke, and to be constantly spurned by the Uchiha, only to have Naruto be the one to finally reach him…it must have been excruciating. Any romantic possibility had been shattered, then, as Sakura let her jealousy consume her relationship with the Jinnchuriki.

Naruto hadn't been strong enough to stop it. The blonde was just as much to blame, for not being his usual obnoxious self and demanding that Sakura explain her feelings. The war had changed him for the worse, in that regard. It had stripped him of his gaudy self-confidence – more pro than con, it turned out. Losing so many loved ones had torn away a bit of his curiosity and replaced it with sadness and insecurity. By the time Naruto recovered, and gained back some – but not all – of his previous exuberance, the damage was done.

In the beginning, Kakashi hoped that the chance of finding love in each other could be salvaged. Now, five years later, he knew that romance was out of the picture, and instead hoped for the survival of their friendship.

Eric's voice was smooth and silky, dangerous as a kunai as he sauntered toward the unhappy couple. "How can I help you this fine evening, Miss Stackhouse?"

Sookie stiffened at the vampire's approach, her face shifting slightly before settling into a steady glare. Eric sent her a lingering look, and reluctantly turned to Bill for an explanation. Bill was gritting his teeth, his eyes flickering to Jessica and the shinobi before returning to Eric.

"You will return my Child and my guests at once; you were out of line–"

Eric's fangs clicked down, and in a blur of movement he towered over the brown-haired vampire, his voice a low snarl in his throat. Kakashi was surprised that Bill had the gall to speak to his superior like that; even Kakashi knew his boundaries when dealing with those of higher rank.

"I do not take lightly to being ordered around like a common servant, Mr. Compton. I could have you tortured for your words, as well as your purposeful concealment of three humans," Eric said coolly, and Kakashi couldn't help but notice the vampire's slight hesitation before labeling the three shinobi as human. Kakashi glanced over to see that Pam was struggling not to look too eager at the prospect of making Bill Compton suffer. Eric's Child was beginning to remind Kakashi of Anko, an Anko that was much less openly sadistic, but sadistic all the same, veiled underneath the façade of beauty.

Bill had the good sense to look slightly abashed, and his voice was curtly polite when he responded with a quiet, "I apologize for my rudeness. I was–"

"—completely out of line, and now wish to bow down before me in order to properly acknowledge my tolerance of your childish antics," Eric finished cheerily, and bared his fangs at Bill's murderous expression. Kakashi rolled his eye, and Sakura grinned at the older jounin in response. Naruto smiled widely, remaining silent, his cerulean eyes lingering on Sookie Stackhouse before returning to Eric and Bill.

Kakashi's focus was pulled away from the exchange by Naruto flickering to his side, his eyes moving back to the blonde human as he whispered softly in code, leaning down so that only Kakashi and Sakura were witness to his words.

"_The woman – Sookie – she has chakra. Not anything like a shinobi, but there's something similar to chakra in her system…I can feel it._"

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, and Sakura frowned as she absorbed Naruto's statement. The medic glanced at the arguing vampires – for such complex creatures, they were far too easily distracted; Kakashi doubted that they were aware that the shinobi were conversing – before turning back to her companions.

"_Should I check?_" the pink-haired shinobi asked, and Naruto and Kakashi exchanged glances before slowly nodding. Out of all three of them, Sakura had the most refined chakra control, and it had only improved in the years after the war. If anyone could examine the chakra of another without that person knowing, it was her. Sakura settled slightly behind Kakashi, using his tall frame as a sort of barrier between herself and the vampires. Naruto moved so he was between Kakashi and the vampires, offering another buffer so that Sakura's actions would be less obvious to the advanced senses of the undead men who were still locked in a battle of wills.

The two vampires were discussing the three shinobi, talking softly, obviously ignorant to the fact that the shinobi could hear every word. Kakashi and Naruto both turned their heads toward Jessica and Pam, faking ignorance to what the male vampires were discussing.

"…I know this, you think I haven't considered it? They can wield magic, or at least, something similar to it."

"Yes, they mentioned something of the sort. Chakra, the leader called it," Eric said, and Kakashi wondered if by 'leader', they were referring to himself.

"I've never heard of it, but when they used it…it felt like…" Bill trailed off, seeming lost for words, and Eric made a small sound of frustration.

"Like what?"

"Like fairy magic," Bill breathed, and Eric let out a small hiss, loud enough to attract the attention of Sookie, whose head cocked slightly to the side as she considered the blonde vampire.

"I highly doubt that, Bill. But I'll keep a close eye, just in case."

"Agreed."

Kakashi stole a glance at Sakura, whose eyes were closed as she concentrated on her task. Kakashi could feel the thin stream of chakra, so subtle that it was almost completely hidden. The silver-haired man wondered what Sakura was discovering, and was relieved to find that Sookie was completely unaware of what the medic was doing.

"…you suggest we do, Bill?"

"I'm going to let them stay in my home until they became more comfortable."

"Well that just won't do…" Eric was smiling; Kakashi could hear it in his voice.

"What?"

"You said it yourself; Miss Stackhouse is vulnerable during the day. There are now three perfectly capable bodyguards to choose from."

"They're not just things that you can manipulate! They've just been torn from the world they know, they need time to adjust!"

"Not everyone is as sentimental as you, so I would suggest changing your perspective. What better way to let them adjust than to immerse them in the culture? Cooping them up like treasured goods would be useless."

Bill didn't respond, and Kakashi looked up to see that the two had parted, and from the reluctantly accepting look on Bill's face, Eric had won the fight. Sookie was still standing, arms crossed, and Sakura let out a small sigh, pulling her chakra back with a small jerk of her head. Kakashi looked at her for a report, but Sakura shook her head. _Not now_, her eyes pleaded. The older jounin nodded, watching as Eric moved to stand next to Sookie.

"Now, Miss Stackhouse, why are you gracing my bar with your presence this fine evening?" he purred, eyes gleaming hungrily as they devoured her ample chest before slowly rising to meet her gaze. Sookie glared, and turned her nose up at his less-than-subtle advances.

"Bill and I were heading home when he suddenly felt his _Child's_—" Sookie paused to send a particularly accusatory look in Bill's direction. "—presence leave the house. He didn't want to risk having any harm done, and so I got dragged along. He oh-so graciously filled me in on the fact that he turned an innocent girl, and he has yet to explain why it took _two weeks_ for him to even _mention_ her – I'm even willin' to bet that if she hadn't been taken from his house, I wouldn't have found out tonight!"

Bill averted his eyes, his shoulders hunching in guilt. Jessica flinched as if Sookie's harsh words had physically cut her, and Kakashi felt a particle of sympathy for the newborn vampire. The teenager had no choice in who her Maker was, and it was clear from her behavior that all she wanted was someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Sookie was resenting the fact that Jessica had been made, jealous of something she did not understand, and Bill was dismissing the newborn vampire as a huge inconvenience, placing her safety in three strangers so he could comfort his lover.

Naruto seemed to have noticed this as well, and Kakashi was shocked when the blonde shinobi spoke, his voice laced with a deep underlying anger.

"Stop speaking as if she's not here. This isn't some _thing _you're discussing, this is a girl who's been dismissed as unimportant by the one she needs most. Stop acting so high and mighty, won't you? Bill probably had his reasons for hiding Jessica, why don't you actually try asking before you jump to conclusions?"

Naruto's face was flushed with a melancholy fire, and Kakashi looked at the young man with sad eyes. Kakashi's mind was pulled backward in time, and instead of a full-grown Naruto Uzumaki, there was a little blonde boy, staring at the villagers as they mocked him from afar, not even making an attempt to lower their voices.

_"Don't go near him…he's a monster!" _

_"Look at him, just standing there. You see, he's so stupid that he doesn't even know how much everyone hates him!" _

_"It would have been better if he was never born…" _

Of course Naruto would be inclined to defend the newborn vampire; she reminded the young man of himself.

Eric watched coolly as Sookie sucked in an angry breath, and his dark eyes were sparkling with amusement she faced the blonde shinobi. Her eyebrows rose at Naruto's attire – he was clad in a traditional jounin outfit; black long-sleeved shirt, forest green vest, black pants, and sturdy shinobi sandals. She was staring deep into Naruto's eyes, as if trying to suck herself into them. Kakashi recognized that look – he had seen it on many a Yamanaka – and wondered if she could indeed read their minds.

"And who might _you_ be?" she asked. Kakashi did not assume that the blonde woman registered how scornful her tone was, seeing as her eyes were full of genuine curiosity. Naruto squared his shoulders, and stood, crossing his arms imposingly over his chest. Jessica gave the Jinnchuriki a surprised look, which slowly settled into a small smile of gratitude.

"Naruto Uzumaki, shinobi of Konohagakure. These are my teammates, Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you, Sookie Stackhouse," Naruto said in greeting, giving her a overly respectful nod – he was obviously still angry about Sookie's treatment of Jessica.

Sookie blinked at the formal introduction, and gave the young man a smile. Kakashi noted that her face shifted slightly in confusion, and was tempted to ask if she had indeed managed to read Naruto's mind. From her frown, Kakashi assumed that she had been unsuccessful. Interesting…

"Nice to meet you. Bill told me about y'all…I'm sorry about what's happened. I can't imagine what it's like to be forced away from home like that," Sookie said, her face softening in sympathy as she included Sakura and Kakashi in her gaze. Sakura smiled slightly in response, and Naruto and Kakashi continued to stare at her solemnly.

Sakura moved forward slightly, her eyes focused on the blonde woman. "Your concern is appreciated, Sookie – sorry, is it alright if I call you Sookie?" Sakura paused to ask, her brows pushing together. Sookie, looking perplexed at the medic's question, nodded affirmatively. Sakura smiled, and turned to Eric and Bill, who were watching the exchange with stoic expressions.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Sookie asked abruptly, her accent even more pronounced in her confusion. Kakashi sighed, and stood as well, moving to stand beside Sakura. Naruto did the same, close enough for Kakashi to feel his warmth. The older jounin took comfort from the shinobi on either side of him; their unspoken support gave him strength.

They may have been fractured by resentment and silly assumptions, but they were still Team 7, they had been together from the very beginning. No matter how much time passed, no matter how angry they were at each other…they would, without hesitation, give their lives for each other.

"The plan for what we will do while in this world. Obviously, our powers are too valuable to waste, and so we'd like to know what you," Kakashi directed his attention to Eric, seeing as the blonde vampire was obviously the highest ranked person here. "would like us to do."

Eric stood, smirking in amusement at the stony expression of the silver-haired jounin. Jessica bit her lip nervously, her aqua-gray eyes flitting to Naruto and Sakura before returning to Eric. Pam looked bored, but if Kakashi focused, he could see the tense interest present in her lounging form. Bill's eyes were narrowed slightly, and Sookie moved to stand beside him, her eyes so focused on the exchange that Kakashi sensed that the movement was automatic. Even though she was obviously angry with him, she still found unconscious comfort in the vampire's closeness.

The Sheriff sighed, and stood at his full height.

"It is obvious that you three are completely unfamiliar with this world; just letting you roam free would only do harm. And so I have several options for you to choose from. You see, Miss Stackhouse's ability is very prized among supernatural–"

"You _told _them?" Sookie shrieked, and Eric sent her a cool look which effectively quieted her, though her furious expression remained. The Sheriff crossed his arms before continuing, his eyes serious as he eyed each shinobi in turn.

"That, coupled with the fact that she is in a serious relationship with a vampire, makes her a likely target for other vampires, as well as anti-vampire organizations. Now, seeing as vampires are not active during the day, I would like for one of you to watch over Miss Stackhouse during the day, one to watch over Bill's Child – Bill will be with Sookie at night – and one to work for me here, at _Fangtasia_."

Sakura hesitated before stepping forward. "Why must we be separated?" she asked, her voice calm and light. Even so, Kakashi could sense her underlying tension. Kakashi couldn't blame her for being wary; he didn't like the idea of being separated any more than she did. Naruto moved closer to Kakashi, his mouth tightening in distaste.

"You three are not entirely human, that is clear, and your scent is very intoxicating. If all three of you were in one place, it would be potent enough to attract the attention of vampires and other supernatural beings. If you are separated, the scent is more spread out, less likely to attract attention," Bill supplied, hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans.

Kakashi nodded, seeing the reason behind the statement, but a small part of him wanted to response negatively to the offer. Sakura sighed, and she spoke in code, turning to confer with her team. Naruto folded his arms, cutting in before Sakura could even speak.

"_You're not working in this bar_," Naruto stated boldly, and Kakashi cringed at the commanding tone in the blonde's voice. While the older jounin agreed whole-heartedly – the bar was more of a scandalous club than a bar, and the thought of Sakura working here made Kakashi sick to his stomach – Naruto had not chosen the right approach. Sure enough, Sakura's face reddened in shock and then in outrage.

"_How – How _dare_ you! I can work wherever I damn well please! You're not in charge of me, so back off!_" she hissed, and Naruto's eyes narrowed into slits. Kakashi sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his middle and index finger.

"_This is practically a strip club, Sakura! You may not care about my opinion, but I still think you're better than that._"

"_You don't know me, Naruto. Not anymore. If you cared at all, you would let me make my own decisions, instead of acting like a child. Oh, but wait, you _don't _care. How silly of me to forget. You're too cowardly to fight for anything, even for things you supposedly 'care' about,_" Sakura shot back, true venom seeping into her voice as she glared up at him. Naruto flinched as if burnt, and then his face purpled in rage.

Kakashi moved to step in between them. This was no longer just about whether Sakura should work at _Fangtasia_ – it was becoming more personal. The silver-haired man managed to grab the back of Naruto's shirt as he moved forward as if to push his pink-haired teammate. Kakashi was shocked at how quickly the two had jumped to anger, and struggled to keep Naruto in place.

The vampires watched silently, and Sookie was looking on with concern; even if they couldn't understand what was being said, the raw anger behind the words was evident.

"_Naruto, Sakura, that's enough! Both of you–_" Kakashi began, his voice cold and full of authority. But Naruto, shaking with repressed frustration, cut in before the jounin could finish. The blonde was beyond angry, he was so unbelievably furious that his voice cracked.

"_Fine, work here! Let guys look at you and grope you! You want me to back off? Fine! See if I care! I guess the guys at the bar were right, you really _are _just _a pathetic, drunkenWHORE_!" _Naruto was yelling by the end, and he was so worked up that the last few words slipped out of code, and were spoken in a language that everyone could understand.

Sakura stood, shocked, her mouth dropping open in surprise. Naruto was breathing hard, and Kakashi was so shocked that his hands dropped from Naruto's shoulders. Part of him wanted to make Naruto scream for his words, but the rest of him was so bewildered that he could do nothing but stare. The jounin couldn't believe that such degrading words had just passed Naruto's lips. Never, in the entirety of Kakashi's friendship with Naruto, had the Jinnchuirki ever said such hurtful things to Sakura. In fact, Naruto had _never _said anything hurtful to Sakura. Kakashi suddenly smelled tears, and turned to find the source.

Sakura was crying. Thick, soundless, salty tears rushed down her ashen cheeks as she stared at the blonde shinobi, her lips trembling as she struggled to remain silent. Naruto stared down at her, a deep satisfaction in his eyes, and without another word looked up to address Eric, who was watching the exchange with a neutral expression.

"I'll watch over Jessica, if that's agreeable with you." Eric nodded, and without another word Naruto turned and fled the bar. Kakashi let him go, knowing instinctively that the blonde needed to vent his anger. Sakura was still crying, her face turned away from Kakashi, her arms wrapping around her middle as if to hold herself together. Kakashi did not comfort her, though every cell in his body yearned to. Sakura's tears had always evoked a strange tenderness from him; he couldn't stand the thought of her being anything less than her usual confident self.

But not this time. Kakashi was finally putting his foot down. The two had taken it too far, and Kakashi was furious with both of them. Why, oh why, couldn't they just sit down and talk it out? Sakura's stubborn nature and Naruto's fear of rejection made a horrible combination, and their pain was entirely of their own doing.

And so Kakashi spoke to her in code, making his voice as stern as he possibly could in the face of her tears.

"_This has gone on long enough, Sakura. For the last five years, I've foolishly let you two decide the fate of your friendship. But that's no longer an option. I refuse to simply sit back and let it happen when we're in a situation that demands complete trust and support. You are being childish and stubborn, and it is a shame, because you are so much better than this_," Kakashi said, and this caused Sakura to look up with wide eyes.

"_Do not let your anger consume you. Do not make the same mistake that Sasuke did – don't look at me like that, you know better than I do what vengeance did to him. Naruto misses you, Sakura. And I know for a fact that you miss him. Being jealous of something that you have absolutely nothing to do with is useless. Sasuke cared about you, Sakura, even if it was never in the way that you wanted. Be happy with that, and stop punishing Naruto for the past._"

"_It's not that easy, Kakashi–_"

Kakashi laughed at Sakura's adamant tone. "_Contrary to what most people think, forgiveness is quite simple. It's not ignoring the fact that they did bad things; that is something that can never be erased. It's simply putting into perspective the reasons behind what they did, and what your part in it was. Forgiveness isn't dismissal, it is understanding and acceptance. Naruto needs your forgiveness, and you need his._"

Sakura stared, her tears slowing slightly as she absorbed his words. Her sea-foam eyes flickered to the door, and her shoulders tightened as she gritted her teeth in an attempt to remain angry. Then, without warning, she pushed past him, using chakra to flicker out the door.

The older jounin stood alone in the center of the room, ultimately pleased with his part in the exchange. Perhaps things would be better from here on out. Kakashi silently prayed that the two younger shinobi would not tear down the entire forest in their attempt to resolve their differences. Both were inclined to destroy things when they were angry, and both of them were absolutely livid at the moment.

Kakashi suddenly realized that there were others still present in the bar, and composed his face into a blank slate as Eric looked at him expectantly. The jounin smiled complacently, and supplied a quick and simple explanation – for the entirety of the argument as well as for the sudden disappearance of the two shinobi.

"They needed some fresh air."

Surprisingly, Eric nodded and moved on to the placement of Sakura and Kakashi without comment. Bill and Sookie seemed hesitant to let it stand, but in the end they too kept their questions to themselves. Jessica struggled to remain silent, and Pam rolled her eyes, moving to seat herself beside her Maker.

It was clear, even to those who weren't as familiar with the jounin, that Kakashi had nothing more to say on the matter.


	8. Chapter 7: We're Worth It

GAH! That. Was. So. Freaking. HARD. TO. WRITE!

I don't know why, but this chapter was the most thought-inducing chapter so far. I had to decide how they would settle their differences (if they would instead have a full-out ass kicking – I did not have that occur, fortunately) and what would be said/done.

I have mixed feelings about this chappy (it's only one POV) so for my sake, leave a review, and tell me if you think it all turned out realistically.

Enjoy!

**Dislcaimer**: I wish that I owned both of these brilliant stories.

*opens eyes, looks around for the papers signifying ownership. Finds nothing of the sort, instead, a big sign that says "You wish!"*

DAMMIT! Well, at least there's fanfiction, in which I only own the plot and some OCs if I choose to add them!

-x-X-x-

Chapter 7: We're Worth It

-x-X-x-

It took every ounce of strength in Sakura's form to run toward the pulse of Naruto's chakra – she would have much preferred running in the opposite direction, or curling up and wallowing in self-pity. The medic wasn't sure what drove her; was it Kakashi's shaming words, or was it her own conscience finally waking up and taking a stand?

Perhaps it was both.

The air against Sakura's skin was hot and stifling, but she still felt cold. She had said such awful things, and yet there was a sense of relief at the same time. Both of them had locked up their innermost resentments for so long, it was nice – in a twisted way – to finally verbalize them. Tears continued to streak down her cheeks, and Naruto's words face floated to the forefront of her thoughts, full of a hate she had never born the brunt of.

His words followed the image of his furious visage, but she pushed them down with a hard swallow. The tears were already drowning her; to draw in more negative emotion would overwhelm her completely. Sakura focused on her chakra with some effort, wiping away the snot that was dribbling from her nose. Her grief was too all-consuming for her to be disgusted, and so she wiped the back of her hand against her pants without a thought or care. Her entire chest felt sore, and she choked for air as she ran, her hair streaming behind her and the branches barely sinking under her weight.

Sakura reached the strange road from before – a "highway", Eric had called it – and saw several pairs of bright lights coming, mere specks in the distance. She hesitated, and then took a step back, focusing a careful amount of chakra to her feet. Then, she bounded forward, lowering into a half-crouch before bolstering her muscles with chakra. The lithe kuniochi jumped, practically floated, over the expanse of inky-black road, and touched the other side in less than a second.

Naruto was nearby, somewhere in the expanse of thick trees, and she slowed to a jog, scanning the area for the specific pulse. She found it, and her breath left her. Naruto was tapping on the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox – it bubbled and hissed around the softness of Naruto's chakra. Naruto and the Fox had come to a sort of a truce after the war, and now Naruto was entirely dominant. But at the same time, whenever Naruto was extremely upset, the Fox would slink forth and lend his container chakra. Sakura had the sneaking suspicion – from Naruto's telling of his conversations with the beast – that the Fox had a grudging sort of affection for the blonde, but that was just a theory.

Naruto hadn't been this affected by the Fox in years. To know that _she _had caused its reappearance…

Her throat was tight and swollen, and she looked up at the stars, standing in the midst of the forest, her hands clenched tight. Then, she stepped through the brush, and saw in the dim light of the moon that Naruto had ceased running, and was seated on an overturned log, his head in his hands. His fingers were clenching the thick blonde locks as if to tear them out, shoulders tense and shaking slightly. Chakra steamed up off of his shoulders and head, vibrant orange-red even in the poor lighting. Sakura was shocked to find that once she stopped moving, a dim sound could be heard over the frantic beating of her heart.

Naruto was crying.

Not the strong, hoarse sobs that Sakura was struggling to hold back, but small, pitiful sniffles that reminded Sakura of a child who had no one to comfort him. To hear them in this strong, capable shinobi was disturbing, and made Sakura's lips tremble with guilt and with tender sympathy.

Sakura waited, assuming that Naruto could feel her presence. But when Naruto spoke a moment later, it was obvious that this was not the case.

"Dammit, dammit, _dammit_! Why does she have to _do _this?" Naruto screamed, and jumped up, kicking the log so fiercely that it flew across the clearing and snapped cleanly in two. Chakra swirled around his form, tearing up the earth and creating an underlying humming sound. "I try and try and try, and what does she do? She shoves it in my face and _LEAVES ME OUT TO DRY!" _

His fist collided with the ground, and the entire clearing shook as the earth cracked and popped under the crushing chakra. Sakura gasped, hands coming up to shield her face from the flying debris. The sound made Naruto's head snap around – with such inhumane precision that Sakura felt a flicker of unease sink into her throat, muting any voice she had at that moment.

Naruto's eyes were the color of blood, with thin slits for pupils, and for a moment the two did nothing but stare at each other. The blonde's head cocked, as if listening to a voice inside of his head. With the Nine-Tailed-Fox inside of him, Sakura reasoned, having a separate voice was very possible. The silent exchange made Sakura wonder how much of the relationship between himself and the chakra-beast Naruto was keeping secret.

"What do you want, Sakura?" he spat, his voice openly hostile. Muscled arms crossed angrily over his chest, and Sakura took a step forward, her hands still slightly raised – only this time it wasn't to protect herself from flying bits of rock, it was to protect herself from the coldness in Naruto's eyes.

"I…I…" she attempted, but there was a thick and cloying lump in her throat that wouldn't budge, rendering her mute. Naruto scoffed, a crisp and derisive sound, and turned away from her. Sakura wanted him to grin at her, she wanted to smack him like she had when they were kids, she wanted to just _talk _to him. But Naruto was having none of that. Sakura should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Five years of active avoidance wasn't erased in the span of one conversation.

"Get out of here, Sakura," Naruto snarled, and the chakra bubbled dangerously, daring her to do otherwise. Sakura contemplated the option. It would be so much easier; if she left, she could go back to her haven of anger and resentment. It was a comforting, stable place, tempting in its familiarity. But Sakura did not move. She couldn't. If Naruto had been his usual calm, reserved self, she would have turned and left. But somehow, seeing that Naruto was just as torn up about the way things had turned out as she was…her feet refused to budge.

"You're r-right, Naruto. I _am _pathetic," Sakura whispered, and sank down to the ground, sitting before him with her head bowed. She sat, baring her soul to him, letting him finally_ see_ her – not as the fearless kuniochi, but as the emotional wreck that she was. Tears swelled up once more, and she looked up at him, struggling to hold back her pained sobs. "I swore to myself, when I began my teaching under Tsunade-shishou, that I would never l-let anyone fight for me, or control my heart. I refused to be the w-weak little girl, I was done with relying on others."

Naruto snarled, turning his head away in denial. "You were never weak, Sakura. Why do you–"

"No, Naruto, listen!" Sakura leaned toward him, tears escaping her control and spilling down her cheeks and neck. "I swore that I would be independent, and yet…when it came down to it, I found myself relying on others once more. My feelings for Sasuke…" she paused, her heart clenching at the memory of the fallen Uchiha. "I tried to deny any control, but he still had my heart, Naruto. I still imagined that perhaps…one day…he would love me back. If not as a lover, then maybe as a friend, maybe it could someday match what he felt for you. It was stupid, to assume that Sasuke would suddenly change, but it was still my deepest wish. When I asked you to bring Sasuke back, it wasn't just to bring him back physically. I think, deep down…I wanted you to bring him back to _me_. I wanted you to somehow allow for Sasuke and me to have that connection."

Naruto was staring, his eyes cold and crimson as he absorbed her words. The wind blew, stuffy and sickly sweet, the trees shivering and swaying as a result. Sakura coughed to clear her throat, arms hugging her middle as she lowered her gaze to the ground, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to continue.

"I don't expect you to understand, but when Sasuke would attack me…I couldn't help but feel so _worthless_. What was I doing wrong? Why did I do to deserve such indifference? I _loved_ Sasuke…so much! When he came to his senses in the last fight…I felt so _angry_. I was…I was jealous, that you meant so much to him, and I was just the whiny little girl, even in the end. I don't feel that way any more, but…" she sobbed, fingers tracing the thick scar on her thigh. Naruto stared at her, and his eyes were flickering between blue and red now. There was a pain in his eyes, and a scowl crossed his face as he stared up at the sky, blinking back tears.

"Sakura, why do you think you were the only one to survive in that fight, the day he killed the Council Members?"

It had been in the last few days of the war. Sasuke, aided by a single Zetsu clone, defeated the western squad that stood in between him and the hidden base that hid the two members of the Council. Sakura had been in that squad – Naruto was far the east, too far away to help. She was the only one left standing, the only one who lived to tell the tale.

_Sakura was beyond tears. Her squad was no longer, the members strewn around her, unmoving and unfeeling corpses. Not even her healing prowess could save them. It was over. _

_Her body was tingling with numbness, the numbness of exhaustion and chakra-depletion. Everything was foggy and shivering; colors were dimmer, and yet brighter at the same time. Sounds faded in and out. How she was still standing was beyond her. Her hair was getting in her eyes, but she refused to move – even it was to improve her vision. She wouldn't give Sasuke the satisfaction of showing any signs of discomfort. _

_Sasuke was standing before her, gashes on his arm trickling blood, a thick bruise shadowing his cheekbone. Sakura eyed the marks with satisfaction; Sakura had proven almost immediately that she was not to be underestimated, even by the great Sasuke Uchiha. _

_Eyes of bright sea-foam met cold crimson ones, and the two were silent as they exchanged…well…Sakura wasn't sure what passed between the two of them in that moment. Her mouth was parted in an attempt to gulp as much air as possible, and her heart was racing steadily, blood trickling from her wounds. _

_Then, something flared behind her, and she dimly heard Sasuke yell something. And then…_

Thunk_. _

_Pain erupted in Sakura's shoulder, and her entire left arm went completely limp as Zetsu's blade pierced the flesh there. Blood spurted violently, splattering onto her shirt and the grass below her feet. She let out a sigh as the dizziness increased until the entire world was spinning endlessly. Oh…_

_Her head hit the ground, and her body spasmed as the movement sent streaks of agony through her left side. A whimper escaped her lips, and she stared blankly at the sandals of Sasuke Uchiha. She stared, not caring that he was probably smirking at her weakness, not caring that his feet were likely the last things she would ever see. _

_Death would be quick, that was one thing she could be sure of. Sasuke was always one to get to the point; he didn't like to drag it out, especially with a useless person like Sakura. How would Naruto react to her death? Would he ever find out that Sasuke was the culprit? Would he forgive, as he always did with the destructive Uchiha? _

_Sakura hoped that he would. _

_She felt her world slipping, and rather than closing her eyes, as she so wished to do, she let them drift up to lock with eyes that were surprisingly lacking of hate and his usual coldness. Sakura chalked it up to the fact that _everything _looked indistinguishable in her state of mind. _

_Sasuke's face was brought closer, into better focus, and she found herself staring into Sharingan eyes. They were so bright, and they spun…just like everything else. Sakura felt her eyelids dragging downward, and she forced them to stay open. With a pained grimace, she attempted to lift her uninjured hand to make the sign for release. _

_Something calloused caught her hand, rendering her unable to complete the sign, and the crimson eyes dove deeper into her mind. Everything was fading to black, and she felt an echoing pressure on her hand, urging her to give in to the darkness. _

Oh, all right_, she thought, and closed her eyes tiredly. The pain was much less prominent now; she seemed to be swimming in a pool of serenity. Everything was dark, but she did not feel afraid. She could feel her body, but her mind was blissfully at peace. _

It's over_, she realized once again, but this time, there was no feeling of desolation. It was much more accepting, to know that the pain would soon be gone all together. Why should she feel afraid? _

_Something gentle touched her lips, exerting hesitant pressure, and a hand rested against her cheek. Who…?_

_Everything went completely dark, and when she finally came back to consciousness, she found herself lying in one of the medical tents back in shinobi territory. _

Sakura blinked, and whispered, "I wasn't important enough to kill."

Naruto let out a heavy, frustrated gust of air. He seemed so tired. "And yet he saw fit to waste his energy in killing the rest of your team – complete strangers? Sasuke cared about you, Sakura; you were the only girl that he talked about, you were the only girl he trusted! He might not have returned your feelings exactly, but he didn't see you as unimportant. He was twisted and cruel at times, but I still believe that he loved you, in his own weird, emo way."

Before Sakura could speak, he went on, as vehemently as before. "And really, you don't think you were important enough to eliminate? You were Tsunade's apprentice, the most talented medic-nin in all five shinobi villages. The enemy would have had a significant upper hand if you were killed. You're practically the Fifth's _daughter_! You have the final say on any advancements and improvements to the medical system in Konohagakure; that's one of the most influential positions in the village! How can you even–" Naruto cut himself off, running a hand through his hair, mouth twisted in anger.

To a non-shinobi, being said that you're worthy of killing might seem a bit odd, but in the shinobi world, being a high-level target signified extreme power and skill. Naruto was paying Sakura one of the highest compliments a shinobi can give.

Sakura stared up at Naruto in surprise. She was considered Tsunade-shishou's…daughter? People respected her? But then…

"According to some, I'm just a useless whore who enjoys getting drunk," Sakura said into the silence, tears welling up once more in pain. Sure, she had kissed a few guys while "drunk" – pretending she was drunk allowed her to let go of her frustration at losing her best friend – but she had _never_ removed a single article of clothing with any of them.

She hated shifting the blame, but the hurtful statement was something that – in her mind – couldn't go unaddressed. Naruto sighed, and sank down to sit next to her. His shoulders hunched in exhaustion, and Sakura saw that his eyes had returned to their usual cerulean blue. His voice was strained as he spoke.

"I'm…I know I can't take back what I said, Sakura. I know that we may never be the same, but I'm sorry…for everything. I wasn't thinking, and I tried to come up with the most hurtful thing to say. The guys at the bar were completely plastered when they said that to me, and I can assure you that they all were checked into the hospital shortly afterwards."

Sakura let out a watery chuckle, and wiped away her tears as she hugged her knees close to her chest. "I never did anything with them, Naruto, they–"

"I know."

Sakura's eyes swam again at the firm certainty to Naruto's voice, and she resisted the urge to hug him and cry in joy. "I'm sorry too, Naruto. I was so stupid, goading you on like that. I just thought…I thought you had given up on me. I was such a bitch for so long, and then I just expected you to be waiting for me. When you weren't…" she trailed off, and Naruto turned to smile weakly at her.

"We both fucked up, big time."

The blunt truthfulness of the statement, the way it completely and utterly summed up what had occurred between them, made Sakura giggle. It was so true, when she thought about it. They had both spent five years avoiding this discussion, both making their own assumptions about what the other person wanted.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, and Naruto let out a shaky sigh, hurriedly wiping under his eyes in order to hide the wetness there. Sakura smiled slightly, her chest feeling so light that she would be surprised if she started levitating. Things would be okay, it would all be okay.

The two stood silently, and Naruto suddenly turned to her, sweeping her into a hug so tight that Sakura literally choked on her own gasp. The blonde was shaking terribly, and his hands clutched at her desperately, as if afraid that she would push him away and declare that the entire encounter was all a dream. Sakura clung to him, tears falling freely – Sakura mutely wondered if she would ever stop crying – her breath escaping in sobs.

"I love you, Sakura," Naruto said hoarsely, and Sakura knew instinctively that the brief romance that they once had was over, and would never re-emerge. The declaration Naruto made now was one of friendship, one siblings made after going through a rough time together. Sakura was relieved; her own feelings had matured since then, and she found that a romantic relationship wasn't at the top of her list at the moment. Especially when they were in such a strange, confusing world with little to no knowledge of what the next plan of action should be.

"I love you too, Naruto," Sakura murmured, and it all seemed to settle into place.

They would be okay. Nothing was perfect – there was a lot that still needed to be discussed – but the main hurdle had been cleared. It had taken five years to reach this point, but Sakura honestly could care less about the time that had passed. What was more important was that they had finally gotten past the confusion. Now that she was here, in Naruto's arms, Sakura felt the feeling of peace that she hadn't experienced since the war ended. With Naruto by her side, smiling and accepting her for her faults, hope filled her chest and swelled up, making it impossible to hold back a smile.

Sakura was finally home.


	9. Chapter 8: Irreparably So

Happy Holidays, everyone! Havent updated this in a while, and so I busted my bum and got this out!

Feelin' a little shaky on the characterization - its been a while - and so I'd appreciate some feedback regarding that.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

_**Disclaimer:**_Just as Santa will never, EVER give out Easter Eggs (it's just not possible, man!) I will never, EVER own Naruto or True Blood.

-x-X-x-

Chapter 8: Irreparably So

-x-X-x-

After a long while sitting and talking, Naruto and Sakura made their way back to the bar, running side by side, so close that their shoulders bumped occasionally. The air was warm and sticky, the smells of the forest sharp and pungent in Naruto's nostrils. Chemicals tainted the air when the pair reached the black strip of road called a "highway". Naruto twisted – mid-jump – into an idle flip, landing soundlessly on the other side. Sakura' breath left her in a whoosh, and she ran into a simple leap, her legs and arms slowly pumping as if running on air. Naruto watched as she descended, her hair gently rippling in the starlight. Then, she was beside him, legs spread out to absorb the impact. With a nod, the two set off, moving a bit faster now.

Naruto was grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt. He and Sakura were back to normal – well, not entirely – and the bitterness that had been burrowed in Naruto's chest was absent. Naruto took a deep breath, letting out a contented sigh, and Sakura gave him a sad smile. When he asked her what was wrong, she turned her head forward once more, eyes glinting with tears.

"It's just…it's nice to have you back, Naruto."

Her sea-foam eyes were trained on the foliage ahead, and Naruto chose not to respond to her statement. There wasn't anything that could be said that would equal or surpass the weight of her statement.

Naruto felt the Fox stirring inside of him, and for the first time in nearly a year, the tailed beast spoke to him while he was outside the Fox's chakra cloak – which arose as a result of Naruto losing control of his emotions or his being in a near-death situation.

_You are a fool, _the Fox hissed, its voice deep and gravelly with the extent of its irritation.

Naruto was almost eager to dive into the watery world that was the Nine-Tailed-Fox's prison, and the action was so second nature that it hardly disconcerted him anymore. Naruto's mind was still in his functioning body, on alert, but a large portion of his focus was inward. That part currently stood, staring at the growling beast that had inhabited him for his entire life.

_The bars were heavy and secure, the metal glowing slightly with the amount of power held within the metal. Within its confines the Fox paced, fur standing on end and black lips parted to reveal lethal teeth larger than Naruto even when he stood at full height. Naruto did not waver, glaring when he felt the Fox searching for an inkling of doubt to cling to. The air in the prison crackled with chakra, and the sensations were more familiar than anything, because it was inside the safety of Naruto's own mind. _

"I'm not like you, Nine-Tails. I can't just hold on to my anger and constantly search for a way to get back at everyone who does me wrong. That's what Sasuke did, and that's what got him killed," _Naruto explained, brow creasing at the memory of Sasuke. It always hurt to think of the Uchiha, even after all this time._

Do _not _compare me to that Uchiha brat, _the Fox snarled harshly, the bars vibrating and creating a brief hum of sound. Naruto folded his arms across his chest, eyebrows raising indignantly. The Fox's lips curled in disgust, and it went on, _She destroyed you, she tore out your will and left you as limp as a newborn kit. You were a waste, a shell, and _I _was the one who was forced to bear your endless moping and screaming!

_Naruto winced. In the beginning of the falling-out, Naruto had often gone to the only place he felt safe to relay his true feelings – inside of himself. Many a night had he spent sobbing in the prison, crying out curses in the direction of Sakura, cursing himself for being so weak, and wishing that he was stronger. The Fox had been strangely silent throughout these sessions, the only sign that he was not attempting to drone out the endless crying being the two glowing eyes that never blinked or left his face. _

"You don't understand–"_ Naruto started, and then a deep resounding chill filled the chamber. The ground shook as an ear-splitting roar filled the interior of the prison, and Naruto was so surprised that he fell backward, falling into the ankle-deep water that coated the floor. The Fox was reared into its hind legs, and the look in its eyes was vibrant and terrible. It leapt at the bars, ragged claws missing him by inches. Naruto was utterly taken aback. The Fox hadn't attempted to physically harm him since the war ended, when they had gained a sort of respect for the other. _

I UNDERSTAND MORE THAN I WISH TO, YOU IGNORANT CHILD!_ The Fox screamed, the voice so shrill that Naruto winced before he could restrain the impulse. Chakra bubbled and stung, and Naruto scrambled to his feet, using his own chakra to escape the poisonous vapors that pervaded the water. The Tailed Beast roared again, less ardently this time, and after a moment settled down to a menacing growl. _

You seem to forget that we are linked. Whatever you feel, I feel. Whatever you see, I see. In turn, I can slightly influence you, but since I am the prisoner, my powers are much more subdued in this place, _the Tailed Beast said coldly, eyes flickering around in disgust. _

_Naruto stared in shock, his eyes wide. The Fox…was affected by Naruto's emotions? That was so unbelievably _wrong_! Naruto's mind was supposed to be his own, his emotions were supposed to be _separate! _There was no way in hell that Naruto was somehow emotionally linked with the Nine-Tailed-Fox. It just wasn't possible. _

_Abruptly, Naruto ended the connection, and swam back toward the surface–_

Naruto shook his head to clear it, and looked over to see that Sakura hadn't noticed his absence. The words of the Fox still rang with him, and Naruto gasped as he felt the creeping rage of the Tailed Beast, trickling through him so subtly that it could be overlooked as mere irritation at his surroundings. Naruto bit his lip, and solidly pushed down the foreign emotions. They were swept away, but even so, Naruto could feel the slight tendril that refused to give way, the link in between him and his demon.

The Fox was right. They were linked, and that bond could not be ignored or erased. The blonde wasn't sure what he was feeling in light of this discovery, and that made him especially confused. Had Naruto truly become so comfortable with the Fox's presence that it had escaped his notice that the Tailed Beast was an equal partner in the life Naruto called his? It seemed insane, and yet…it had been done before. Bee – the shinobi who had hosted the Eight-Tailed-Beast – had a curiously friendly relationship with his Tailed Beast, and according to Bee, the two often interacted even when Bee wasn't in his cloak form. Bee had allowed the Eight-Tails to surface slightly, so that Bee didn't have to detach his mind every time he wanted to talk to the chakra-beast.

The Fox was clearly able to reach him from within the prison…did that mean that Naruto had unconsciously allowed the Fox to surface into the back of his mind?

The bar was approaching, and Naruto hurriedly put the thought out of his mind. Now was not the time for such speculation. Naruto flushed at the memory of their rather tactless exit, and prayed that they had not squandered their chances at getting allies.

Sakura reached the door first, and she reached for it, pale fingers stretching toward the steel handle that was shaped into a straight pole instead of a typical knob shape. But before she could grasp it, the door was pushed toward them, and the two stepped back in order to give the door room to open fully.

-x-X-x-

Overall, Kakashi thought that the night had been a relative success. He sat back, politely turning to thank Eric, who merely nodded. The vampire flashed into his office, the papers on the nearby rustling slightly at the speed of his retreat. Kakashi heard the clicking of a phone, and sighed. The chair he was sitting in was stiff and uncomfortable, not unlike the chairs in the Hokage's office, and so it was not unfamiliar to Kakashi. A pang of sadness reached him at the memory of Konoha, and his hands folded in front of his face, his visible eye staring off into space.

Kakashi had never been one to become emotionally attached to things – excluding Team 7, of course – because everything could be taken away in an instant. Nothing was permanent, no matter how you slice it. Still, Kakashi had lived in Konohagakure his entire life; it was a place of peace, a place that held equal amounts of good and bad memories. It was a bittersweet haven, and the idea of not seeing it again left a heavy feeling in his stomach.

Kakashi looked down at his hands, refusing to let his mind traverse the path of mindless melancholy. His thoughts quickly revisited the fruits of his negotiations. It had been decided that with Kakashi's Sharingan – an ability that allowed him to match the speed of Eric, a very old vampire – it would be more beneficiary for him to work at _Fangtasia_, where he would be situated as the bartender. Eric hadn't hired a human bartender in many years, because of the risks, and it wasn't until Kakashi proved his skill – he had been given a mission that required him to bartend, during the last few years in ANBU, and had been tutored by none other than Gai – that the vampire agreed.

Naruto had already agreed to watch over Jessica, and so that left Sakura with the task of watching over the blonde woman named Sookie Stackhouse – the woman was currently sitting beside Bill, watching Kakashi with unwavering intensity. The woman's name was undeniably odd, and Kakashi resisted the urge to say it out loud several times, getting his mouth used to the strange assortment of syllables.

Eric had explained to Kakashi Sookie's waitressing job at a bar called _Merlotte's_, and inquired to Sakura's willingness to waitress at the establishment, to better conceal her true purpose in being there. Sookie had, at first, denied the need for protection, but at some coaxing from Bill, she relented. Kakashi assured Sookie that Sakura was a professional in every sense of the word; meaning that she was completely trustworthy, and would not guard in a way that would leave Sookie no freedom at all.

Kakashi responded affirmatively to Eric's question. Sakura was very well-mannered and organized, both of which were needed in order to successfully attend to customers. She also enjoyed working with and helping others, as was clear from years of contentment working at the busy Konoha Hospital – Kakashi didn't mention that, not wanting to delve into Sakura's extraordinary healing capabilities. Eric said that he would call Sam Merlotte and secure Sakura a position.

Sam was the owner of _Merlotte's_, and was also one of the supernatural – a "shifter", which Bill explained was the ability to change into any animal at will. Kakashi glanced back to where Eric had disappeared to, and heard the faint sounds of Eric speaking coolly.

"…it's for the safety of the telepath, shifter. Surely that means something to you…"

Kakashi was surprised at the sound of Sookie addressing him.

"Um, Mister Hatake?" she asked, her twanging accent ringing clear, completely butchering the pronunciation of Kakashi's surname. Kakashi turned to eye her, and she smiled a bit teasingly. "Do you mind getting me a drink? I'm parched."

Kakashi nodded without comment, and strode over to the bar, sliding in behind it and reaching for the necessary ingredients. The bottles were familiar, and as Kakashi prepared her drink, his mind was taken back many years. He had been twenty-one when he had taken the mission that required him to pose as a bartender. It had been one of the more enjoyable undercover jobs he had undertaken, because he found that the controlled task of mixing drinks was strangely soothing. His mind was naturally adept at handling many demands at once, and he enjoyed the feeling of the bottles in his hand, the colors the drinks turned when they meshed together with each other. It was pleasing to him.

Sookie watched him silently, and in under a minute Kakashi had her drink, and was placing it on a napkin before her. She purposefully brushed her hand against his, and he raised an eyebrow at her. Sookie seemed to be focusing very carefully, and after a second she pulled back, her mouth turning in confusion. Kakashi shrugged, not inclined to ask what she was trying to do. His eye was drawn to Bill and his Child, and as he replaced the gin and tonic, he observed them.

They were quietly arguing in the back, and Kakashi made an effort to tune them out. In a strange way, the two reminded him of Iruka and Naruto, back in Naruto's Academy days. Iruka would scold and yell, and yet it was clear that deep down, he genuinely cared for the boy, and would do anything to help him succeed. Jessica was wearing the same rebellious scowl, and Bill let out a deep sigh, his eyes tired as they considered his Child.

Pam was painting her fingernails, her honey-brown hair back to perfection – she had excused herself some time before, and had returned completely bereft of signs that she had been in a scuffle. Her eyes were focused on her task, and Kakashi heard her humming idly under her breath, a faint smile tilting her lips upward.

Eric strode back into the main bar area, his gait an arrogant swagger, and Kakashi looked to acknowledge him as he approached the table.

"The shifter has agreed to give the pink-haired one a job, and will offer her a salary that is equal to the other waitresses. You will be paid for your work as our bartender, and your other companion will be compensated by Bill, I assure you. You three are content staying with Bill for the time being?"

Kakashi nodded, deciding not to bring to light that the three shinobi had no idea how this world's currency worked – he hoped that it was relatively simple. As bartender, he would have to collect money and/or place customers on a tab. When the time came for money to exchange hands…

Kakashi hoped that he could take Bill aside and address this dilemma, but knew that now was not the time. He thanked Eric once more, assuring the vampire that this arrangement was satisfactory.

"It is almost dawn; I suggest that you return to Bon Temps. Kakashi, I will see you here at first dark and no later. Miss Stackhouse, the shifter told me that the girl could accompany you to your shift tomorrow, which is…?" Eric turned to Sookie, who was finishing up her alcoholic drink. The blonde downed it in a gulp, and frowned in thought, tucking some hair behind her ear as she did so.

"The afternoon shift, so…from 12:30 to 6:00, thereabouts," she supplied, and Eric nodded, looking to Kakashi to make sure the jounin understood. Kakashi said that he would pass the information along, and turned to Bill.

"What are your preferences regarding Jessica? Is she confined to the house, or is she allowed to roam? Naruto would be with her at all times, either way," Kakashi said, ignoring Jessica's hiss of displeasure at the thought of being forced to stay indoors. Bill stole a glance at Sookie, who was looking at him curiously.

"I think…that as long as Naruto is watching her, and she returns by sunrise, she will be allowed to go into town. But _only_," he stated, as Jessica began to grin in anticipation, "if she continues to mainstream, and does _not _place herself or her guard in danger."

Jessica gave him a look, but nodded in the face of Bill's stern expression. "Well duh, of course I'll do that!"

"Good," Bill grumbled, and the two scowled at each other.

Sookie rolled her eyes, and stood to leave. "Are we done here? I want to go home, I've seen enough shit tonight, I don't need any more," she said, and reached over to take Bill's hand. Apparently, she wasn't too angry at him any more, and Kakashi wondered if it was just Sookie's nature to forgive, or if she was merely tired of being hostile towards her lover.

Bill smiled slightly, and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Of course, sweetheart," he murmured, and Jessica leapt to her feet, eager to leave. Kakashi stood as well, and bowed to Eric.

"Thank you for your time, Sheriff. I will be here at sunset."

Eric nodded, and he and Pam were gone. Pam was out the door and into the night, while Eric had gone back to his office – Kakashi assumed that he was finishing up some paperwork or something similarly important. Bill turned to Kakashi, and Sookie leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I drove here in my car; do you wish to come back with us?" the vampire asked, expression genuinely polite. Kakashi shook his head.

"No, but thank you anyway. I have to find Naruto and Sakura, we'll find our way back eventually," he said graciously, and Bill nodded. Jessica followed the lovers out the back door, where the "car" was most likely parked, and Kakashi – now finally and blissfully alone – went out the front.

He tugged the door open, only to find Sakura and Naruto standing there, eyes wide when they saw Kakashi. From their positions, the older jounin guessed that they had been about to open the door to the bar.

The instant Kakashi set eyes on them; he knew that something had changed. No longer were their eyes dark and bitter, no longer was there a forced distance between them. Naruto and Sakura's faces were bright as a result of their run, their eyes glittering in the light of the faint moon.

There were many things that Kakashi wished to say, but instead of saying any one of those things, he merely smiled at them. It was a soft, utterly relieved smile that seemed to drain the jounin of all of the tension he had stored up during his meeting with the vampire Sheriff.

"I'll fill you in on the way," Kakashi said quietly, and Sakura and Naruto took his words in stride, both of them nodding in acceptance. The three jounin took a moment to look up at the unfamiliar sky, trying to find patterns in the unfamiliar collections of stars that shone down on the unfamiliar forest beyond the city limits. Unfamiliar was an understatement, really.

And then, Kakashi motioned to the other shinobi, and the three of them were gone in a flash of chakra.

The bright luminescent letters that read _Fangtasia_ remained lit even after the shinobi had gone, the redness of the light contrasting against the darkness of the night. It was a smoky place, the darkness of the door and painted walls blending in with the air of mystery. It was a dangerous place, in the dark, and in the blackness it became what it was imagined to be by those who placed so much interest in it – an escape from the boring staleness of humanity.

It was about an hour or so until sunrise, and the sky was beginning to lighten ever so slightly. The air was growing warmer, and after a time the sky became even more brightly lit. The center of the horizon was blindingly gold, and suddenly the sun peeked out from behind it, sending its rays outward without any hesitation.

The sign was turned off, the buzzing fading until there was only silence. In the revealing light of dawn, the bar became nothing more than a concrete building with a dull red sign that was cheaply bolted just above the door.


	10. Chapter 9: Separation

Okay, so I've had this chapter 3/4ths done for about a month, I really have NO IDEA why it's taken me this long to post. Mehhh my laziness as a high school senior whose finished her college crap has leaked into my fanfiction work.

Anyhoo, I'm sorry! I hope to get back on track, and that this long chapter makes up for the long wait! Havent edited, so forgive me for any typos! I am, alas, too lazy to fix them, as I just want to get this chapter OUT THERE, y'know? Y'all have been kept waiting long enough!

Leave a review if you want more, or if you have any little tidbits of happiness and sunshine you want to give my bored soul.

_**Disclaimer**_**: **Blah blah - Do not own Naruto or True Blood - blah blah - Purely for my own entertainment and the enjoyment of the common fanfic reader - blah blah - Something hopelessly witty and clever - BLAH.

-x-X-x-

Chapter 9: Separation

-x-X-x-

Hot water rained down onto Sakura's shoulders. She let out an inaudible sigh, her entire upper torso hunching inward as if she was releasing heavy gust of air. Sakura's hair clung wetly to the skin of her shoulders and lower back, and she automatically pushed it back from her face. The shower stall was large, and from the looks of the tile, had been scrubbed rather recently. Bottles full of what _appeared_ to be shampoo and conditioner rested on a ledge that was at shoulder-height. A bar of white soap was positioned just beneath the bottles – it smelled fine, albeit a tad strong for Sakura's taste.

Sakura knew that she shouldn't be wasting so much water, but couldn't find the resolve necessary to move even an inch from her current position under the spray. It was her first shower in nearly two weeks, and seeing the dirt and grime swirl down the drain on the floor filled the kunoichi with a deep, feminine satisfaction. If she was going to take a shower, then dammit she would make sure that it counted!

Her hair was completely and utterly clean, and she delighted in the feeling as she combed her fingers through it. Lashes dotted with water fluttered as she tilted her head to check her watch; waterproof, of course. It was 11:30 – the team had gone to bed a few hours after dawn, and consequently the two were still sleeping. Sakura wished that she could join them, but she had a job to do, and the prospect of doing something useful easily outweighed her desire for more sleep.

Sakura gave her body a few more seconds in the hot water. Then, she reached forward and shut off the tap. The water ceased its flow, and the young woman was left standing in a cloud of steam, wishing that she was back home and allowed to take as long of a shower as she wanted. The rational of her scolded the whiny side, slapping away the ungrateful urges and kicking her butt into gear. The kunoichi reached for one of the large white towels hanging just outside the stall, and dried quickly and efficiently, wrapping the fluffy whiteness around her hair before pulling on a set of clean clothes from her pack.

She would be given a uniform when she and the Stackhouse woman reached the bar, and Sakura temporarily lamented the fact that she couldn't at least attempt to dress smartly. Meeting the owner of the restaurant, and her new boss, felt oddly important, and Sakura always made an effort to look presentable when those moments of importance arose. But, since she was without her closet of clothes and box of make-up, all Sakura could do to improve her appearance was meticulously brush her hair and scrunch it with her fingers – to give her natural waves a bit more curl. She generously applied her chapstick, which made her lips a tad shinier. It was all Sakura had, and so she refused to feel insecure as she strode from the bathroom. The house was completely and utterly silent, and Sakura instinctively branched out her chakra, making sure that all was as she had left it.

It was, and so she allowed herself to relax. Her hair was drying painfully slowly, but Sakura always hated to use blow dryers, and so she did not spare the wetness a thought. She silently crossed to the bedroom she and her two teammates were sharing, and peeked inside. The two men were still deeply asleep, and Sakura smiled at the relaxed expressions slumber adorned them. Naruto looked almost twelve again, without a care or fear. Kakashi's expression was more startlingly different, because it made him look much less like the lazy, effortlessly powerful jounin he was, and more like an ordinary man with no shinobi background.

Sakura knelt down to arrange her pack for the day, locating her deodorant (unscented, as scented items were strictly forbidden on elimination missions) and applying some before continuing her packing. Her kunai and shuriken case went inside, along with several scrolls that held her basic medical supplies – bandages, cleaning alcohol, needles and thread, etc. A single water bottle went in, along with several energy bars, and with that Sakura pulled the drawstring so that the bag closed, and stood.

The young woman moved to the door, quietly slipping into her sandals, and took one last look back at her teammates. Kakashi was watching her silently, both eyes open for a change. The Sharingan swirled slowly, and the silver-haired man closed it with ease, leaving only his dark gray eye visible. Sakura did not speak, instead smiling in farewell. He didn't need to say anything; she knew to be careful, and she knew to keep a low profile. In order to appease his unspoken worry, Sakura put her hands together, and preformed the illusion technique.

Kakashi's main suggestion had been to change her hair color, as it was much too memorable, and he wanted her to be able to melt into the crowd with ease if the need arose. When she was done molding her chakra so that the changes would stay without her constant focus, she did a little spin, and Kakashi blinked to show his approval.

Sakura now had wavy, pale blonde hair – it was easier to keep her natural hair texture and length, as it drained less chakra – just a shade darker than Sookie Stackhouse's. Sakura had also altered her skin so that it had a sunny glow. With the hair and the skin, people would be more likely to think that Sakura and Sookie were related, which would justify them spending so much time together. It would also give Sakura a believable back-story. More believable than the truth, that is.

Sakura was heading over to Sookie's house early in order to establish said back-story, and so she gave Kakashi one last wave before turning and exiting the room. She jogged down the stairs, grimacing at the horrible creaking sound that was the result. Okay, new rule, no running down the stairs.

The air smelled of moldy, rotting fabric, and Sakura's nose crinkled at the pungency of it. If Jessica's initial words had been anything to go by – "This place smells like _shit_, Bill." – the vampires had particularly keen senses, and so they had to notice it as suddenly as Sakura had. How could they stand it?

Sunlight darted into the room when Sakura pulled open the front door, and the golden brightness was so welcome that a smile couldn't help but spread across her face. The area around Bill's house was illuminated and beautiful, large willow trees guarding each side of the building and creating waving lines of shadow on the grass. The soft breeze carried hints of mulch and dry woody spaciousness. Sakura recognized the smell from her years out on missions, and the familiar scent made it possible to imagine that she was coming home from a difficult assignment, that in no time at all she would see the village gates and know that she was home.

Willing away the thick feeling in her throat, Sakura made her way down the stairs, her sandals making soft clacking sounds on the aging brick. Her bag hung on one shoulder, the weight warm and steady, and she spotted the faint depression in the grass that signified a well-worn path. Bill had said that the path would lead straight to Sookie's house, and so Sakura followed it. The afternoon sunshine made it impossible for the graveyard to appear ghostly or eerie in any way, and the sound of rustling leaves lent the place a rather contented air. It was nothing like the cemetery back home, but perhaps that was because scattered among those particular grave markers were the names of her dearest friends.

After a few minutes, Sakura spotted a pale yellow house. The porch was a faded white, the paint chipping away and revealing the warm brown wood underneath. Sunset-hued roses grew below the porch, reaching up to cradle the railing with bright fiery clusters. The windows were shiny and clean, revealing glimpses of a bright kitchen and cozy living room. Sakura walked around to the porch steps, noting that while Sookie's house looked to be as old as Bill's, this house had a prominent sense of vitality that the vampire's house severely lacked. Sakura squared her shoulders, and rapped her knuckles on the front door. After a few moments, Sakura heard feet padding down what she assumed were stairs, and the delicate white door swung open to reveal Sakura's charge.

Sookie was dressed in a white shirt that had _Merlotte's Bar and Grill_ stamped on the left breast, along with black shorts. Sakura was surprised to find that Sookie – who had looked so tiny compared to Kakashi and Naruto – was a few inches taller than herself. A confused, but still polite smile was on the blonde woman's face, and Sakura gave Sookie a smile of her own. She only just managed to keep the smile from appearing too proud.

Sookie didn't recognize her, of course, thanks to Sakura's advanced transformation technique.

"Hello, Miss Stackhouse. I'm one of the three strangers you met last night. I'm the one with pink hair," Sakura clarified, and Sookie's eyes widened in recollection, her smile becoming slightly more genuine. Sakura felt a slight push against her chakra, and looked closely at Sakura. That strange energy – somewhat like chakra, but much less evenly structured – was flowing through Sookie's skin, like a beacon. Was this "magic"?

"Oh! Won't you come in?" she trilled, stepping back to admit Sakura into the house. "What did you do to get it like…" Sookie trailed off, gesturing to the blondeness that was Sakura's hair.

Sakura reached up to finger the wavy tresses. "I used chakra to manually alter the pigment of my hair." Sakura pushed on before Sookie could ask any more questions. "I don't know how much Bill told you, but–"

"Sakura, right? That's your name?" Sookie asked, and continued when Sakura nodded. "Bill told me that you three weren't human, and that you're trying to get back to another dimension. That's pretty much it, so you'll have to fill me in as we go. Also, I've never had a bodyguard before, and I'm not sure if I'm completely comfortable with it, so I apologize in advance if I'm a bit short with you at times."

Sakura smiled at the woman's spunk. "It's perfectly fine. I'm used to it, seeing as it's my job."

Sookie was looking down at Sakura hesitantly, her eyes focused so solidly on the kuniochi that her entire body seemed to have frozen so as to avoid any bodily distractions. Sookie looked sad, and after a moment she unfroze, speaking rather quickly.

"If I may ask…how old are you?"

Sakura blinked, surprised at the question. "Twenty-one, Miss Stackhouse."

"So young…and please, call me Sookie," Sookie added sternly, and let her visage relax into a smile, though she still looked slightly disconcerted.

Sakura nodded. "Okay, Sookie, we have to come up with a back-story. I changed my appearance so that I look somewhat similar to you, and so I think it'd be logical to say that we're related. Do you have any distant relatives that would be likely to have a daughter?"

Sookie put a finger to her lips, brow creasing in thought. "Well, you're obviously not from Louisiana, cuz of your accent. All my family's pretty much gone, 'cept for my older brother Jason. Hmm…my dad's sister Linda moved away when she was old enough, out to Missouri. She died a few years back, but I think I'm the only one around here who knows that. You could pose as her daughter, so, you'd be my cousin."

"Would I tell others that my mother's dead, and that I'm staying with you? What about my surname, wouldn't that have changed?"

Sookie scowled. "Shit, that's true. Umm…" The woman glanced at the clock hanging on the wall – it read 12:09 – before going on. "I can't remember what her husband's name was; he emailed me about Linda's death. So let's just skip it, okay? I'll just introduce you as Sakura Stackh…ugh, that sounds awful!"

Sookie grimaced, and Sakura had to agree with her, though of course no such feelings made themselves outwardly known. The thought of having such a ridiculous last name tacked on to her real name made Sakura want to pout and kick her feet like an indignant child. Sookie looked thoughtful, her bright blue eyes scanning Sakura's face carefully.

"You look like a Micaela, how's that sound to you?"

It sounded horrendous. The only positive aspect to the name was that it had a similar rhythm to her real name (Mih-kay-lah vs. Sah-koo-rah) but in favor of making things easier, Sakura forced a smile on her face, and nodded.

"That'll be fine."

Sookie was looking at her closely, and the magic – or at least, Sakura assumed that's what it was – pressed once more, stronger than last night. The pressure grew to such a degree that Sakura felt that she was obligated to reveal the fact that she could feel Sookie's attempts.

"Are you trying to read my mind?" Sakura asked, none too gently. Sookie blinked; shocked that she had been caught in the act. The pressure disappeared, and Sookie looked embarrassed, looking anywhere but at Sakura's face.

"I…I can't get a good read on you. I tried reading the other two, but they were the same. I asked Bill about it, and he told me it was probably because you're not completely human."

Sakura was intrigued. "What _can_ you get from me?"

"Just colors and some flashes of emotion, like I get with shifters and werewolves. Just now, you were feeling irritated, and I wondered why, so I…" Sookie shrugged, meeting gazes with Sakura once more. Sakura itched to ask Sookie if she could perform a full body scan – it would give Sakura so much more insight on what Sookie was, exactly – but there was no time. Sookie seemed to notice this as well, because she snapped to attention.

"Should we go?" she asked, and Sakura nodded. "Do you want me to pack you a lunch or anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Sakura replied politely.

Sookie reached down to retrieve her purse with a hesitant smile, and led the way out of the house. Sakura waited while Sookie locked the front door, and followed the curvy blonde to a smallish yellow hunk of metal. Sakura paused a few feet away, eyeing it warily.

"Is this a car?" Sakura asked, feeling slightly foolish in the face of Sookie's puzzled stare.

"Well, _yeah_. Don't they have 'em where you're from?"

"No…is it safe?" Sakura asked, and Sookie grinned, which lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle. Sakura felt a spark of something as she stared at the blonde, and marveled at the essence of _light_ that shone so brightly from her. The sun seemed to do strange things to her hair and skin, and Sakura chose to focus on the woman's words rather than investigate it further.

"Completely safe! How do you guys get around, if you don't have cars?" Sookie asked, moving to open the side door for Sakura. The kuniochi stared at the interior, branching out her chakra to make sure that nothing was inside, and slowly got in. Sakura waited until Sookie was behind the large wheel – for steering, Sakura deduced – before responding.

"We walk."

"Really?" Sookie exclaimed, her eyes wide, and Sakura couldn't help but laugh a little at the amazement in the woman's tone. It was obvious that Sookie wasn't aware of what was funny, but she laughed along with Sakura anyway.

-x-X-x-

Naruto woke with a start, his eyes snapping open and his hand lunging for his kunai case before his brain could fully breach the wall between consciousness and unconsciousness. His heart was racing, breath coming in gasps, and then Kakashi was there. The jounin knelt beside Naruto, staring at the blonde with a blank expression. He did not attempt to remove the kunai from Naruto's hand, instead waiting patiently for Naruto to come to himself.

The fog was slipping away, and with a grunt Naruto fell backwards on his backside, letting his kunai fall back into the case. He put his head on his knees, hoping it would help the headache that was beginning to pound against his skull. Nightmares always gave him headaches, and so the feeling was one of commonplace. Didn't stop it from hurting like a bitch, though.

"Wha–" Naruto tried, but found that his throat was hoarse and chocked. He cleared his throat, and tried again, with much more success. "What time is it?"

"4:46 PM," came Kakashi's voice from somewhere to his right. Naruto, over the blinding pain behind his eyes, recalled going to bed at around six in the morning, so that was…

Ten hours. Naruto groaned; no wonder he felt so disoriented.

"Sakura's already gone," Naruto sighed, his hands moving to run through his hair. He knew that Sakura was gone without having to look; her chakra was not immediately present to his senses. "Shit, why did I sleep for so long?" he hissed, more to himself than to Kakashi.

It was rather strange; since he was a light sleeper, he usually got no more than five or six hours of sleep a night. The slightest hitch in his teammate's breath would jar him. The sound of footsteps was like a bullhorn in the stillest moments of night. And yet this time, he had not awoken, not even for the obvious sounds of Sakura leaving the house. It unnerved him, but before he could think more deeply about it, Kakashi offered an answer.

"We haven't had a good night's sleep since we got here, you were tired. Not to mention that you went into the full Nine-Tail cloak."

How Kakashi knew that last tidbit, Naruto couldn't say. The blonde nodded absentmindedly, and rolled to his feet, wincing at the pounding of his skull. A bottle of water found its way into his hand, and he swigged it. The water offered no relief, but it felt good to do something with his hands. Kakashi was fully dressed, as Naruto was, but it was clear by the cleanness of Kakashi's skin that the man had taken a shower. Naruto perked up at the thought of a shower, and, after asking directions to the bathroom, headed there to take one.

Five minutes later, he was done and toweling off. He changed into a clean outfit – a black turtleneck and gray trousers, leaving off his dark green vest – and glanced out the window. The sun was still relatively high in the sky, with at least a few hours until sunset. Kakashi was kneeling on the ground, his hands deftly organizing the bed rolls and sleeping bags. They wanted to be able to run at any time, and so preparation was necessary.

Naruto looked back toward the window, watching the bright green grass of the cemetery shiver slightly. He imagined Sakura walking through there, alone, her long hair blowing in the breeze…

"Are you sure we should be splitting up, Kakashi?" he asked curtly, tension making his tone harsher than he intended. Kakashi joined him at the window, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No. But we have no choice."

Naruto knew that, but it didn't stop him from feeling nervous about the idea of Sakura being alone here in this house while Naruto and Kakashi preformed their individual duties. When would they have time to plan their next course of action? Staying in this world forever was simply out of the question; steps had to be taken to discover ways back to their own dimension…but Kakashi was right. Until they were knowledgeable enough to function at least somewhat independently, the three shinobi had to be patient and do what was asked of them.

The blonde groaned as he remembered his own task. Look after the whiny teenage vampire. Why had he volunteered for that task, again? For the life of him, Naruto couldn't remember. He wasn't one to complain outwardly, however, and so he merely scowled before helping Kakashi pack up their things.

The silver-haired jounin was completely calm, but that was to be expected. Kakashi was always in control of his own emotions, it had been ingrained in the shinobi from birth. If anyone could appear perfectly and utterly content in the face of such an abnormal position, it was Kakashi.

Naruto moved to the door, and branched out his chakra. If he tried, he could sense the dormant auras of the vampires, situated underground. It was a real act of trust for the vampires to let three unknown people into the house with full knowledge that those three could end them at any time. A bit foolish, in Naruto's opinion, but appreciated nonetheless. It wasn't often that people placed any amount of moral faith in shinobi, and the fact that Bill Compton was doing so made Naruto feel a bit unnerved.

The stairs creaked deafeningly beneath his sandaled feet, and Naruto ran his hand down the dusty banister until he reached the floor. The air was thick with the smell of sunshine, and Naruto mutely wondered if that was Bill's intent – he had seemingly forgotten to close the first floor windows before going to his resting place. The room was so very different in the hours of light, and Naruto was almost reminded of the sitting room of the Third Hokage's mansion. Naruto had only been inside of it once, after the Hokage passed away, but he could remember it as clearly as if he had lived in it.

The living room of Bill's house had the same old, tired coziness, and the blonde allowed himself to relax ever so slightly. Kakashi came down the stairs, clad in his usual attire, though, like Naruto, he had left behind his green shinobi vest. His mask was still in place, and Naruto raised a brow.

"Kakashi-sensei, are they really going to let you keep your mask? I don't think it's as common a thing in this world…it might make you look suspicious."

Kakashi frowned, reaching up to finger the beloved fabric. Naruto smirked at his torn expression, and with a small jerk the jounin stripped the mask from his face, tucking the extra fabric into his pocket. The sun chose that opportune moment to glint directly onto Kakashi's exposed face, creating a sort of spotlight.

It was always interesting to see how lost Kakashi looked without the comforting shield his mask offered. Kakashi Hatake, contrary to popular belief, wasn't so hopelessly dashing that he was forced to wear a mask. He was a good-looking man, Naruto supposed – the young man had never had any reason to really think about it – but nothing special.

"I suppose so…" Kakashi murmured, and Naruto rolled his eyes at the lament present in his former sensei's voice. As the silver-haired jounin reached into his pocket for his handy eye-patch, the blonde moved into the kitchen, hesitating only for a moment before approaching the ancient-looking fridge backed up against the wall. Naruto knew better than to eat anything other than the supplies from their stash – Bill seemed trustworthy, but it was always better to be safe than sorry – and so this exploration was merely out of curiosity.

A dark dining table resided in the center of the large, circular room, and Naruto stared in silence at the shelves coated with grime, his feet shifting the light dusting of dirt that feathered the hardwood floor. Vampires didn't have much use for a kitchen, but it was just unsanitary to have this much dirt in a house. Why hadn't Bill's girlfriend – an ordinary citizen and a human – said anything? Did she come to this house enough to even know how filthy it was?

The ugly yellow door of the refrigerator opened with a hiss, and Naruto eagerly peered at the six-pack of deep red bottles – the only thing present in the icy storage space. The bottles were thick and sturdy, with the word _TruBlood _printed boldly on the side and on the cap. Naruto knelt down to pull one of the bottles free from the case, and examined it closely, nose wrinkling at the rusty metallic smell that radiated from the liquid sloshing around inside. It smelled somewhat like blood, but with a harsh undertone of chemicals that reminded Naruto of the intensive care unit of the hospital. He had been in there far too many times to count during and after the war – the hospital was one of the first buildings to be rebuilt after Pain's incineration of the village – and so the smell resonated strongly with him.

"What is that?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto gave the older jounin the hefty bottle, watching as the shinobi's nose – much keener than Naruto's – noticeably wrinkled.

"I think it's that synthetic blood that Bill was talking about," Naruto murmured, and accepted the bottle when Kakashi handed it back to him, placing it gingerly back into the cardboard case. Kakashi stared at the _TruBlood_, and then closed the refrigerator with barely a sound. Naruto glanced at his companion, wondering what the man was thinking about. The expression on Kakashi's face was neutral, so expressionless that Naruto almost forgot that the man had removed his mask – something that usually assisted the jounin in hiding his emotions.

But of course, as Naruto had mentioned earlier, Kakashi was a master at keeping his composure, and so he couldn't tell if the look Kakashi gave the synthetic blood was one of disgust or one of morbid fascination. Heck, it could be both, for all Naruto knew.

Kakashi turned away from the fridge, checking his watch. When the jounin didn't make the time known, Naruto took a peek at his own clock, noting that it was 5:24 PM. Naruto walked over to the unwashed window, and looked outside, seeing that the sun was nearly touching the horizon of trees. If he had to take a guess, Naruto would wager that the sun would set in about half an hour.

"Sakura should be back soon, right?" Naruto asked, and Kakashi nodded solemnly, stretching his arms above his head before moving to pick up his small pack – he had placed it in the entryway before following Naruto into the kitchen. The jounin slung it over his shoulders, and the two shinobi strode out into the dying sunlight.

The area was alight with gold and dusky orange; the tombstones much paler and brighter, the grass a faded green in the face of the fiery sunset. The sun in question was steadily sinking lower and lower, and the two men stared at it silently. On the wind the rich scent of trees and roses was swept across the lawn, along with the seemingly ever-present smell of chemicals – from the nearby highway, no doubt. Along with the smells and heat of the summer air, there was also a deep hum of magic; at least, the shinobi assumed that it was magic. It was strong and stifling, like the sudden release of chakra in a battlefield. Naruto knew the sensation very well, and his heart saddened as the memories swarmed in. Suddenly, the grave markers didn't seem so ethereal, instead weighing down on his mind like the carved pieces of stone reality proclaimed them to be.

Kakashi looked at Naruto for a second or two, and then put a hand on the younger man's shoulder, looking deep into his eyes as he did so. Naruto's ability allowed him to sense emotions, and so it was no surprise when Kakashi's came flooding into his senses. Usually, Naruto was able to block it out – he had been doing it since the war – but Naruto's frayed nerves severely weakened his wards.

Frustration. Intense protectiveness. Heavy twinges of worry.

Kakashi was usually so secure in keeping his emotions hidden from Naruto, and so the Jinnchuriki knew that Kakashi was purposely allowing his innermost feelings to be picked up by the blonde's technique.

"Keep your guard up," Kakashi cheerfully ordered, and Naruto effectively fought back the urge to respond with indignant anger – he was twenty-one years old and a highly ranked jounin; he _knew _to be careful. Kakashi only meant well, and so Naruto nodded in affirmation, putting his own hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"Only if you do the same, Kakashi-sensei."

The two remained linked for a few long moments, staring off into the distance, finding a sort of comfort in the familiarity of each other and marveling in the strange world they had been thrown into. It had only been a few days, and already one of the team was separated from the others. And now, just as that member returned, another left to face the perplexing world alone.

A world filled with metal creatures that were powered and driven by humans, a jarring deficiency of chakra in said humans, and an overwhelming amount of a wild and unpredictable energy known as magic. Two creatures that fed on human blood were to wake in less than thirty minutes. A human that could read minds – without chakra or any obvious hand signs – would probably made an appearance before the night was over.

With a slight nod, Kakashi disengaged. Then, in a flash of silver and black, he disappeared into the approaching night. Naruto stayed there on the porch, his bright blue eyes scanning the grassy lawn for any signs of a familiar kunoichi. The sun, giving one last burst of dull radiance, submerged into the vividness that was the horizon of trees, so endlessly dark against a pale twilight sky.

Naruto heard the sounds of two presences stirring in the house behind him; he could smell the earthy tang of their bodies and could hear the blatant lack of a heartbeat and the shallow sounds of their breathing – an unnecessary action on their parts, no doubt.

The jounin gave the surrounding area one last inspection before turning to retreat back inside, where the two vampires were sure to be waiting.


	11. Chapter 10: And So It Begins

It's been 4 months since my last update! I am ashamed and deeply sorry, my lovely readers!

Long story short: I had a HUGE writer's block for this story, and I tried writing it SO MANY TIMES but it never really clicked...y'know?

I've decided to not follow the rules of the Naruto and True Blood world quite so strictly. Aka: I'M GONNA BE MAKING STUFF UP AND PLAYING WITH CONCEPTS I LIKE.

So please, no reviews telling me that such-and-such doesn't exist and that so-and-so would never be able to do that. This is MY story...deal with it.

**_If you guys want quicker updates_**, I would heartily suggest reviewing! It really does inspire me to writer faster, and makes me an extremely happy person.

**Author Note: **I don't own True Blood or Naruto. I DO, however, own a Mac, on which this chapter was typed. So there!

-x-X-x-

Chapter 10: And So It Begins

-x-X-x-

Kakashi – slightly uncomfortable with the fact that his face was bare – arrived at _Fangtasia _just as the sun disappeared over the horizon, and the vampire known as Pam was at the door to greet him, her dark eyes scanning his blank face with a dark kind of amusement. She was looking at him as if she could just _taste _his unease; a remarkable feat, because Kakashi was a master at concealing his innermost feelings. In that moment, Pam once again reminded Kakashi of Anko – she had the same all-knowing smirk – and it struck the man how eerily similar the two were; beautiful, ruthless, taking exuberant pleasure in the discomfort of others. Kakashi straightened his shoulders, meeting the vampire's eyes with no hesitation. Pam held his gaze for a moment longer, and then let out a bark of laughter.

"You're not bad, for a man. I'd fuck you, if I was an 'older man' kinda girl," she drawled, and Kakashi ignored her jab, knowing that it was a childish attempt to make him lose his cool. A part of his mind dared him to say that he _wasn't _a little miffed, and he frowned…inwardly, of course.

He was thirty-one years old; in Kakashi's profession, that was considered to be a pretty impressive age. Most died in combat by the time they reached twenty-five or so, or sustained injuries that prevented them from continuing as shinobi. Kakashi knew better than to hope for a long life. So in a sense, he _was _an "old" man, at least, in the perspective of a shinobi. But surely he didn't look that old…right?

Kakashi refused to lament over something so utterly ridiculous – he was an elite shinobi: he wasn't out to impress anyone with his physical appearance – and merely nodded in greeting, following Pam inside. The vampire was dressed in a frilly pink blouse, with khaki pants. Her pastel outfit seemed garishly out of place in the club, even in its state of pre-opening brightness. Pam seemed to sense his gaze, because she gave her shirt a light brushing with her fingers, as if his observation had caused it to accumulate an imperceptible layer of dust.

"_You_ try spending all of your waking hours in tight leather, see how comfortable it is. Now _that's _a thought…hmmm…" she murmured, giving him a once over before turning forward once more. Kakashi cleared his throat, not liking the suggestions hidden behind that seemingly simple look, and deciding it was time to determine what his job would entail.

"If we could discuss my duties…" he prompted, and Pam gave him a glare, pouting slightly before resigning herself to seriousness. She moved to the bar, motioning for Kakashi to follow. The jounin's keen ears could discern the familiar sound of a pen scratching against paper. It was coming from the back of the bar, behind a large oaken door.

Eric – Kakashi took him to be the highest authority of this area, and so he supposed that it would be most appropriate to address the vampire as "Sheriff" – must be completing some paperwork, Kakashi mused somewhat wistfully.

The sound was so familiar that if Kakashi had been less painstakingly aware of where he was, he would have been tempted to go and knock on the door, awaiting Tsunade's grumbling yell: "Somebody had better be dead, dying, or giving birth, you goddamn bastard!"

And then his mind cruelly reminded him that Tsunade was dead. He was still staring at the door – entirely the wrong color, and yet commanding the same respect that the Hokage's office door did – momentarily lost in the memories, before Pam's lazy voice commanded his attention once more.

"You'll be tending the bar, which means that you're also in charge of monitoring this area," she gestured to a five foot radius around the counter. "Most of the humans around here know what they're gettin' into; in fact, most have no shame in the slightest. It's not your job to monitor how much they've had to drink or what they decide to do with their clothes, it's to serve drinks and to make sure no vampires or humans get out of hand. There's a strict 'no biting' policy, so don't be shy to step in if anyone tries to sneak a nibble."

Kakashi nodded, and Pam moved to the drawers under the bar counter, pointing out supplies for making drinks. Before she could close it, Kakashi noticed a small black object. It was sleek and about the size of his hand, with shiny lines and a trigger in front of the handle. Kakashi looked to Pam for permission, and carefully hefted the obvious weapon in his hands. He sniffed at it, earning himself a snicker from Pam, and found that it smelled like the powder placed into smoke bombs.

"What is this?" he asked, and Pam's lips spread in a huge grin of amusement.

"You really aren't from around here," she muttered, and grabbed the metal object and held it in her hand, her index finger hovering over the trigger. "This is a gun, and it shoots little metal balls called bullets. This gun in particular has silver bullets, and is here in order to protect you from vampires if the need arises."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kakashi said politely, though in reality he knew that if a situation did arise, his shuriken and kunai would be much more effective. There were exactly forty-two ways to kill a person using a single kunai, and thirty-nine ways using a single shuriken. Kakashi had used nearly every single option sometime in his career, and would most likely use the rest of them sometime in the future.

Pam placed the gun back into the drawer, and quickly moved to the rest of the bar, pointing out brands of alcohol and tossing him a sheet of paper that held the instructions for popular drinks as well as some of the more obscure ones. Kakashi scanned the list briefly, and was happy to find that he was familiar with nearly all of them. The only beverages that prompted serious confusion were the ones labeled with blood types rather than alcohol mixtures.

Were _TrueBlood_s used in these drinks?

"Where is the synthetic blood stored?" Kakashi asked, and Pam gestured to a fridge located under the counter, opening it to reveal an array of bottles. The blood type, now that Kakashi thought to look for it, was printed clearly on the side and on the top of the lid.

"If a vampire wants a single type of _TrueBlood_, put it in the microwave for forty seconds with the lid off. Put the lid back on, shake it up a bit, and then pour it into a glass. For mixtures, heat the main blood type normally, and then add the twist cold. Shake it up, and you know the rest," Pam explained, and it was clear to Kakashi that she had explained these rules before; her tone was monotone and structured, like Iruka's was after a long day with the pre-genin monsters.

Iruka was gone too, Kakashi recalled.

By the time Pam finished showing him around his workplace – at Kakashi's request, she also gave him a quick rundown on "American" currency, having him count the various green-tinged paper bills until she was satisfied he could handle himself – it was ten minutes to opening time. A low thrum of voices and footsteps reached the jounin's ears, and he knew that people were beginning to line up outside, waiting for the popular club to open.

The shinobi ran a hand through his hair, and moved to his spot behind the bar. Pam disappeared behind the Sheriff's door, and Kakashi heard the shifting of clothing and the murmur of her voice as she spoke to her Maker.

Kakashi leaned against the dark wood of the counter, staring across the dance floor and scanning the area for exits. There were only two; the front entrance and the back entrance. Calloused fingers reached down to brush lightly against the case of kunai strapped securely against his thigh, familiar and comforting.

He knew that in order to find a way out of this world, he would have to be patient. But even with that knowledge, it was growing increasingly difficult to just sit back and do nothing. He should be out searching for people who could wield the "magic" the vampires spoke of, not aimlessly mixing drinks behind a bar.

The man's inability to immediately change the situation irked him more than he cared to admit.

Kakashi's visible gray eye flashed to the back of the club as Pam and her Maker's footsteps were heard, and it was only a second or two later that the two entered the main area. The transformation seen in Pam was the most dramatic – she had shed her demure pastels for a scandalously vibrant and tight-fitting corset and skirt ensemble – while the Sheriff was dressed much as he had been the night before.

Even in a simple blue dress shirt and dark slacks, the thousand-year-old vampire exuded danger. The Sheriff's lack of flair in dressing only served to emphasize his lethality, and Kakashi couldn't help but admire his confidence.

The sound of women talking reached Kakashi's ears, and his head cocked to the side, pinpointing the source of the voices. They were coming from the back, and after a moment three beautiful women entered the main bar area, all in their early twenties and wearing identical black dresses. From their nametags, Kakashi assumed that they were waitresses, and with a quick pulse of chakra – out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Sheriff and Pam stiffen – determined that they were ordinary citizens, with that eerie lack of chakra.

Was there no one in this world that used chakra in the same way shinobi did?

"Hatake," the Sheriff's voice murmured softly, and Kakashi looked steadily into the vampire's eyes – they were perfectly level with his own. "This bar is about to be filled with vampires. Your smell will already be cause for suspicion, don't endanger yourself by using your abilities for frivolous things."

The silver-haired shinobi wanted to ask some questions regarding how he and his teammates smelled to vampires, but sensed that now wasn't the best time. So he put on his neutral expression, and nodded in understanding.

"Also, is there any way you can change your hair color? Between you and your female companion, I can't decide who has the most unnatural hair color. Either way, in order to blend in, it would be better to have a more common color."

Kakashi nodded, and after a few quick hand seals, his silver hair shifted into an unremarkable shade of brown. The Sheriff's eyes were sharp as they watched the process, and gave him one last scan before the vampire flickered to the back of the dancing area. There was a throne there, elevated above the floor, along with two smaller seats on either side of said throne. A small stage with a pole stood before the Sheriff's chair, and it didn't take a genius to know what _that _was used for.

The waitresses were hovering a few feet away from the bar, obviously interested in talking to Kakashi, but also nervous. He could smell their unease, and gave them a small smile. They seemed to relax, and one of them took the initiative and approached him.

"I'm Sasha," the brunette said politely, her petite and slender figure tastefully accentuated in the form-fitting dress. Her eyes – dark as night, striking against her rich brown skin – were deeply relieved, and Kakashi took a moment to look at the other two girls. They too were exuding relief of surprising intensity, and it made Kakashi wonder what the previous bartender had been like.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hatake."

Kakashi hated to give his name at all, but it was obvious that he was going to have to give these women some way of addressing him – they would be collecting drinks from him throughout the night. Giving his surname was safer than giving his first name, and to him it was sufficient as somewhat of a cover.

Sasha smiled, and the other two girls stepped forward.

The blonde was next; her green eyes wide as they flickered across his face, not bothering to hide her appreciation. "Hi, my name's Rachel. It's really nice to have a human as a bartender…the last guy wasn't exactly a people-person."

"Oh really?" Kakashi asked, leaning forward in interest. "How so?"

Sasha shrugged. "Longshadow was a spooky guy. Always fed off of Ginger right before her shift, so she was all shaky and weak. He's the reason she's on medical leave."

So, this Longshadow was a vampire.

"I see. What happened to him?"

The last waitress, a tall, olive-skinned woman with a voluminous head of auburn curls, gave him a stern look. "Who knows? Look, I'd be careful about asking questions like that, Hatake. Vampires like their secrets, and they'll get rid of you in a second if you get on their bad side."

Kakashi wanted to smirk at the unexpected similarities between the methods of the vampires and the leaders of the shinobi world, but remembered just in time that he didn't have his mask on – ergo, no protection against careful eyes – and so settled for pursing his lips. "I'll keep that in mind …?"

"Heidi."

Kakashi smiled, and the three waitresses continued to make aimless small talk until the Sheriff and Pam both gave them quiet orders to prepare for the club's opening. Without hesitation, the waitresses whirled around, and moved to their respective areas. The vampires had these women trained well. Fear and money were wonderful motivators; Kakashi knew this from years of experience.

Pam stood by the door, her honey-brown hair shining in the slowly dimming lights. Rachel, who was closest to the sound-system, moved and clicked it on. Immediately, loud, pulsing music began to play. It was so resonating that it vibrated through the smooth surface of the bar, streaming up through Kakashi's fingers and ending in his feet after coursing through his entire body.

Pam looked to her Master for the signal to open, and he gave a sharp nod. The female vampire dropped her fangs, winked wickedly in Kakashi's direction, and opened the doors to the eagerly waiting crowd.

-x-X-x-

It was sunset. Sakura was currently sitting on the sofa opposite Sookie and Bill, munching on an energy bar and trying hard not to let the awkwardness of being around an affectionate couple get to her. She was failing miserably, to be perfectly honest. The thought of standing up and hiding in the bathroom until they were done being gushy and romantic popped in her head more than a few times.

Sakura could handle broken bones and severed limbs without so much as a blink. Scars, stitches, shredded cartilage, and blood? Easy as pie, those were the everyday aspects of her profession. But put Sakura in front of a sappy romance movie or (worse) a touchy-feely couple, and her stomach tossed and turned in discomfort.

"I thought about what you said, Sookie…and I think you're right. Perhaps I've been too harsh with Jessica. I told her I had official business, but really, I'm going to buy her some new clothes. I'd like to make it a surprise."

At her lover's words, Sookie beamed with newfound adoration, leaning over to kiss him soundly. Sakura rolled her eyes, and glared at the ceramic cat that was perched on the table that separated the two couches. It looked so smug that Sakura was immediately reminded of a ninja cat. The thought of the snarky, adorable felines sent a wave of homesickness through her, and Sakura had to fight hard to push her grief aside.

"Oh Bill, that's an awesome idea! Don't worry; we won't say a thing to her. Right?" she said, turning to Sakura. The kunoichi snorted softly – did they really think she was going to say anything to Jessica? – before nodding.

Bill thanked her before turning back to his lover. "You really don't mind keeping her company while I'm gone? If you don't feel safe, you can come with me."

_What are Naruto and I, chopped liver? _Sakura was tempted to say, but decided to stay silent. It never did any good to get into an argument with a client, even one as unconventional as a vampire.

Sookie flapped her hands in an obvious objection. "No, really, it's fine! It'll be more meaningful if you pick the stuff out, trust me. And as for safety…I think I've got my bases covered. Did you _see _that arm-wrestling match?"

Sakura allowed herself a grin at the memory, and even Bill cracked a smile as he turned to look at the Konoha kunoichi. His dark blue eyes were searching her face in interest, and it was a few seconds later that he finally spoke.

"This…transformation of yours is rather extraordinary. You use 'chakra' to do this?"

Sakura held up her hand, and with a quick flare of magic the henge was released. Sookie jumped a bit at the sight of her fellow waitress – after a long day of seeing Sakura with blonde hair and tan skin, the drastic shift must be disconcerting – while Bill merely stared in wonder.

"Facinating…"

Sakura smiled at Bill's tone of astonishment, and Sookie seemed to sense her desire to get out of the house, because she stood in preparation to leave. Bill rose alongside her, and the two shared a sweet kiss goodbye. Sakura bowed to Bill before moving to exit the house, rubbing her neck absentmindedly.

Working at _Merlotte's _had been nothing if not interesting. It was obvious from the get-go that Sakura was going to have to tone down her skills in order to appear normal – letting dishes fall when her reflexes made her more than capable of catching them, appearing to have some difficulty lifting an overly full plate of orders, things like that. It should have been insulting; Sakura was an elite medic and jounin shinobi, she was capable of so much more. But rather than feeling irked, it was a surprise to Sakura that she felt rather eager to hone her skills at impersonating a civilian of this world. The young woman had always been a sucker for puzzles, and this was no different.

It was a complex puzzle of social interaction, physical capability, and adaptability. In order for her body to be most like a civilian's, Sakura had to suppress her chakra so thoroughly that it was almost non-existent – maintaining the heavy suppression without eliminating her henge tested her endurance to the limit.

Even without chakra, her body was honed for battle. It was almost comical to have it be compared to the content and placid bodies of the Bon Temps residents. It was impossible to hide her toned limbs, but she could counter the obvious athleticism by forcing herself to make seemingly obvious mistakes. She would have to be sure to train daily – she didn't want her "clumsiness" to bleed into her _real _self.

Sakura closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of her chakra flooding through her body. It was odd to think that there had been a chance, when Sakura was born, that she wouldn't be born with the traits needed to become a shinobi. Where would she be if she hadn't trained to be a shinobi? Sakura shuddered at the thought of being so powerless, and rolled her shoulders in order to distract her thoughts from such things.

With a sigh, Sakura began to move across the lawn toward the forest path that would lead her back to Bill Compton's house. Sookie jogged down the worn porch steps and quickly caught up with her. The blonde was a bit flushed, and smiled widely at her pink-haired companion.

"Y'know, pink hair really _does_ suit you. Is that hair color normal in your world?"

Sakura smiled wistfully, turning her head toward the blonde for a moment as they walked. "No, it's not. My teachers kept telling me to permanently dye it a more common color, because for us shinobi, stealth is a key part of our profession. But I never got around to it, and as time went on, I decided that I didn't want to be completely invisible. My dad and I are the only people I've ever seen that have pink hair."

Sookie nodded, and a thought suddenly occurred to Sakura.

"When you say that you can read minds…how in depth are we talking? Is it just surface thoughts, or can you access memories and the subconscious? Is it a stream of consciousness thing, or can you control what you hear?" Sakura asked, flicking through all the information she could recollect regarding the Yamanaka Clan and their techniques. Sookie stopped on the path altogether, her sky-blue eyes wide.

"You sound pretty knowledgeable, Sakura. Is there…are there people in _your _world that can do it too?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, it's actually an inherent ability in one of the larger clans. They use chakra to invade the mind, and depending on the intent of the instigator, they can either gather information or lock up information. One of their special techniques was to actually transfer their own conscious into the body of their victim."

She wasn't sure why she was telling Sookie all of this. Her training usually prevented her from revealing village secrets, but in this world, and especially around Sookie Stackhouse, Sakura felt an odd sense of separation. Sakura wasn't in her world anymore, and therefore there was no risk of Konoha being affected by her words. It felt nice to talk about Konoha, even if it did increase the pain in her chest.

It reminded her that she had a home to return to.

Sookie and Sakura resumed walking, and the curvy blonde hugged her middle, staring up at the dusk sky. "When I was younger, it was like a constant hammering in my head. Everyone's thoughts just came _swarming _in, and I would constantly be tryin' to figure out whose thoughts were whose. I answered questions that hadn't been said out loud, I learned stuff 'bout folks that I shouldn't know. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I told my Gran, and she helped me through it. I finally learned how to block most of the thoughts out, but it all depends on how stressed or tired I am. I've gotten pretty good at focusing on one mind, and when I do that I can usually see images as well as hearing their thoughts. It helps and hurts to see the images a lot of the time – most folks don't think in complete sentences. But sometimes…awful pictures pop up, and it's all I can do not to run out of the bar."

Sakura looked at Sookie, and this time it was the kunoichi that stopped walking. "I'm sorry," she said, genuine remorse in her voice. Sookie looked puzzled, and Sakura let out a soft sigh before resuming her stride.

"I've lived my entire life fighting, whether it was for my life, my friends, or a mission…that doesn't matter. I've dealt with the physical cruelties of humans; I'm a healer, it's what I do. But the cruelty of the mind…I've only seen it with my eyes. I've been able to walk away from it, lock it up, and study it safely behind a wall of one-way glass. I can't imagine what it's like when you _can't _walk away, when it's forced at you from all sides, when it's inside the last safe place you have."

The two were silent after that, both lost in their own thoughts, and it wasn't until they reached the final stretch of lawn leading up to Bill's house that Sookie spoke again.

"Thanks for listening, Sakura. It's nice to be able to talk about that kind of stuff."

Sakura smiled. "You know, my friend Ino was born to that clan I told you about. She told me a lot about the mind-reading process, and I'm willing to bet that Kakashi has some tips and tricks up his sleeve. I could try to help you with your telepathy, if you want. Ino used her mind-reading as an offensive and information-gathering technique, perhaps you can too."

Sookie gaped for a moment before bobbing her head. "I'd really appreciate that, Sakura. God knows I need all the help I can get!"

The steps up to Bill's house were still as unsteady and crumbling as ever, and Sakura looked over at Sookie to see what she thought of them. The telepath was struggling to keep the annoyance off of her face, lips pursed tightly together.

Sakura took some solace in the fact that she and her teammates weren't the only ones less than impressed with the condition of Bill's home.

The medic's head snapped up at the sound of crying, and the scent of Naruto came into being a second later. Said shinobi was running out to meet Sakura before her feet touched the porch, and his large hands were gripping her hands tightly.

"Sakura, you're finally back! You've got to help me, I don't know how to handle her right now," the young man stammered, blue eyes dark with hopeless confusion. Sakura and Sookie glanced at each other, and Sookie tentatively asked.

"Um, what's wrong with Jessica?"

Naruto gave her a cool stare – he hadn't forgotten how Sookie had snubbed Jessica's existence the night before – before answering her question.

"Bill left to go to your house a few hours ago. Once he left, she just sat down and started crying. I tried to talk to her, but she just screamed at me and ran up to her room."

"Has she eaten?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Bill made her drink a six pack of that Tru Blood stuff before he left."

"Well, if she went to her room," Sakura moved with her teammate into the house. "then I doubt she is going to talk to any of us about it."

Sookie was thoughtful as she peered up the stairs, and her fingers clicked in a snap as she nodded. "I think I know."

"What is it?"

"Think about it. She's only seventeen years old, she's been changed against her will, and she's not allowed to visit her family. She's obviously homesick."

When Sakura was seventeen, she witnessed the end of a war. She attended dozens of funerals, some of which were for her closest friends. She was acknowledged as Tsunade's replacement in the medical department of Konoha, and was given a seat on the Hokage's Central Council. Hundreds of people died under her hands on the operating table, and those same hands brought hundreds of babies into the world. At seventeen, Sakura had seen the best and the worst of the world, a hundred times over on each end of the spectrum.

Naruto was giving her the same look, and Sakura knew that he was thinking something along those lines as well. But Sakura reigned in her bitterness, and tried to see Sookie's suggestion for what it was. This wasn't her world; she couldn't hold people to the same standards as she did back home.

"Do you want to try talking to her?" Sakura asked, knowing without speculating that she and Naruto wouldn't be able to relate in the slightest, and were therefore useless in this case. Sookie nodded sagely, and bounced up the stairs like a jackrabbit.

At least ten minutes passed before the two of them said anything.

"How was waitressing?" Naruto asked, and Sakura smiled slightly.

"It was fine. There was this one person Sookie and I met; I definitely want Kakashi to take a look at her. Her name's Maryann, and she's got the most unusual energy pattern I've ever seen. There's no chakra, but there's something that sort of feels like chakra, but it's wilder, less domesticated. It's like this untamable thing, this…" Sakura huffed, and threw up her hands in defeat.

Naruto went very, very still. His eyes were wide, and Sakura sat up – she had leaned back against the couch. "Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"_She's able to constantly tap into natural energy without chakra?_" he stammered in code, and Sakura's brow furrowed. Was it really this dangerous that Naruto felt he needed to hide it from Jessica and Sookie?

"_Is that a bad thing?_" Sakura asked, and Naruto nodded.

"_She's not human, that much it for sure. When I learned about natural energy, Fukasaku told me that only the Lost Ones are able to use natural energy without any form of chakra. There're able to do so because they've completely given up all morality and restrictions of the physical form, and rely on the energy of their surroundings to sustain themselves and their power._"

"_What does this mean for Bon Temps?_" Sakura asked anxiously, and Naruto gave a heavy shrug, sinking into the nearest chair. Sakura sat down beside him, and he rubbed his face with his hands.

"_It's nothing good, that's for sure._"

"Is something wrong?" Sookie's voice sounded, loud as blare in comparison to Naruto and Sakura's whispers. The two shinobi looked up to see that Jessica was standing there, thick crimson smudges darkening the pale skin of her cheeks. This was a shock; apparently not only did vampires _drink _blood, but they also cried blood.

Huh.

Sookie was holding Jessica around the shoulders, and she had a determined little tilt to her blonde head. Naruto and Sakura had time for one glance, a few seconds to decide what to tell Sookie about the situation. Before either of them could say anything, Jessica began to speak.

"I…I w-want to go to m-my street. I just need to see my h-house, I need…" she trailed off, more bloody tears streaking down her face. Sookie gave Naruto and Sakura a pleading look, at which Naruto shook his head.

"No."

Sookie glared. "Why not? It's not like anything's gonna happen; that's why you two are here!"

Sakura bit her lip, and looked to Naruto. The blonde was frowning deeply, his brow creasing in stern disapproval. Sookie was staring at Sakura, who wished she would look away. She didn't like the accusation in those pale blue eyes, and after a moment she managed to look at Naruto instead.

"_Naruto_…"

"_Sakura, we _can't_. Bill made it clear that she needs to leave her human ties behind her. And not to mention that that _thing_ is on the loose! There's a chance we'll run into it. We have to go tell Kakashi, he needs to know that it's out there!_"

Jessica swallowed hard. "I don't know what y'all are saying, but I just…I _promise_, I just want to look! Y-You're strong enough to pin me, you can p-pull me back if I try anything! I need to see that they're okay. That's all I want. P-Please…"

Naruto stared at Jessica, and his cerulean eyes sought Sakura's. She stared at him, letting him make the call. Jessica was his charge, after all, and so the decision should be his. Sakura put a hand on his arm, silently supporting his authority. Sookie was glaring – she didn't appear to like being left out of the arrangements.

"…Fine. But we leave after exactly two minutes, understood? We need to go from there to _Fangtasia_; Sakura and I need to talk to our teammate," Naruto said curtly, and Jessica's glowing smile was fairly blinding. She rushed upstairs to change clothes – her current shirt was streaked with blood – and was back down in a flash of red and white. Sookie beamed at Naruto, and patted his shoulder as she passed.

"Thank you. I'll drive."

Naruto stiffened, and Sakura reassured him as the group headed outside. The night was in full swing, the moon shedding pale light on the graveyard stones. The grass shifted in the breeze, and in the silver light it looked almost blue in hue.

"It's okay, Naruto. It's not all that bad. It actually gets to a pretty decent speed once we get on the main road."

Naruto mumbled something under his breath in response, at which she landed a quick hit to the back of his head. He yelped, and danced away from her. Sakura almost smiled at the familiar ringing sensation in her fist. She hadn't done _that _in five years…it felt surprisingly normal even after all this time.

"Quit your whining, idiot."

Sookie and Jessica were in the front two seats, and so Naruto and Sakura were forced to slip into the back. Naruto was forced to hunch a bit, and Sakura noted it with deep satisfaction. Suddenly, it felt nice to be of a normal height.

After everyone was securely buckled in, the car rumbled to life, and with smooth certainty, Sookie shifted it into gear. The growl of the engine rang in Sakura's ears, but she had to admit that it felt nice to be traveling without having to use her legs. It gave her an unaccustomed rest.

Naruto gripped her hand tightly as they began rolling down the driveway, and Sakura would have laughed if she hadn't been so scared herself. Sookie's driveway was straight and smooth, while this one was bumpy and windy. Sakura hated winding roads when she was on _foot_; in a hunk of shaking metal, it was ten times worse.

The two shinobi breathed a silent gasp of relief when they reached the main highway; more speed and less queasy turns and loops. Sakura let her window down a bit – she had figured out the mechanism that morning when she drove with Sookie to work – and enjoyed the warm breeze in her hair. Naruto quickly mimicked her movements, and soon his own head was peeking out the window.

Jessica was giving Sookie directions up front, her bright red hair gleaming in the moonlight. Her gray-blue eyes were alight with excitement, and Sookie was giving the vampire guilty looks every now and then. It piqued Sakura's interest, and she made a mental note to ask Kakashi and Naruto if they knew under what circumstances Jessica had been made.

Sakura was about to close her eyes, the air–

_Tingling wild angry heat lust blood blood blood KILL KILL KILL!_

"SAKURA!" Naruto bellowed in warning, and Sakura barely had time to turn her head before the evil energy struck.

An oppressive force of nature hooked under the side of the moving car, and wrenched the vehicle upward, sending it spinning off the highway and cartwheeling into the underbrush.

Spinning colors – red golden white blue – seatbelt strap digging into her chest her neck her face – sharp pain sharp screams – the car hitting the ground and shaking her world – everything spinning so fast until she finally closed her eyes–

_**CRASH! **_


	12. Chapter 11: Ready or Not

Oh my dear jeebus...this is a monster of a chapter.

I won't ramble on too much, I just want to say a few important things...

1) THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! Like seriously, i was shocked that anyone reviewed at all after the four month break! So thanks for that, you guys really made my day!

2) I'm having a bit of iffy feelings about my take on Kakashi POV. Does it flow well? Am I just being paranoid?

Okay, I hope you enjoy this action-packed, HUGE chapter! If you have any comments, complaints, or questions...

_**PLEASE REVIEW! **_

-x-X-x-

Chapter 11: Ready or Not

-x-X-x-

The metal car rested upside down in a grassy field beside the highway, and it was clear when Naruto came to that only a few seconds had passed since the crash – there was still glass plinking down from the broken windshield. The young man looked around in worry, and almost shuddered in relief when he saw that Sakura was shaking her head to clear it, her bottle-green eyes bright and alert.

He turned his head to see that Jessica was whimpering in pain, holding her hands to her bloody nose – her face must have slammed into the dashboard, effectively breaking the appendage. It was then that the scent of fresh human blood filled Naruto's nostrils. It was thick and rusty, and it only took a few moments to determine that Sookie was the source. The young woman's blonde hair was silver in the weak moonlight, fluttering in the breeze that came in through the broken windows. Her head was still and lifeless, as were her arms. Naruto began to move when he saw the jagged glass pieces that were piercing the woman's tan forearm. She was bleeding out, and fast.

"Sakura–"

But the kunoichi was already moving. With a quick slice of her kunai, she was freed from the seatbelt, and deftly used chakra to lessen the blow of her fall. Like a graceful spider, Sakura climbed over the separation and felt for Sookie's pulse.

"She's alive, but not for long. I need to keep her stable; can you take the door off of this thing?" she asked, and Naruto nodded. Ignoring Jessica's muffled confusion – "What the fuck happened? We were fine a few minutes ago…" – Naruto cut himself loose, and used a bit of chakra to kick the door so solidly that it separated cleanly from the car. It screeched as it raced across the empty highway, and Naruto was out of the car in an instant. His head ached slightly, but he shook it away as he flickered to Sookie's door. With another exertion of chakra, the door met the same fate as its companion. Sakura slid out of the car, and Naruto knelt to help her maneuver Sookie out of the seat.

"Look out!" Jessica screamed, and Naruto turned around just in time to meet whatever was coming with two kunai.

Jagged claws met metal in a chilling clash, and Naruto deftly spun so that he could kick the creature away from him. The figure flew back, and landed on its feet as if the movement had been of its own choosing. Naruto stared at the woman before him – Naruto knew that from her lack of clothing. She wore a menacing head ornament shaped like a bull's head, and had three long claws in lieu of definable fingers.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, his voice low and full of intent. The woman said nothing, and instead released a terrible hum. It shook the earth and made the car shake dangerously. Sakura used her strength to steady the vehicle, and had Sookie out in a flash. Out in the open air, Naruto saw that the glass had also scratched up her face and upper arms. A large cut was present on her forehead, from which blood was pulsing. Her heartbeat was still there, but as Naruto took the time to listen it stuttered. Sakura's glowing medical chakra scanned her patient, and with a glance at the bull-headed woman she hissed.

"Naruto, she needs to get out of here. Jessica, can you call Bill?"

Jessica was out of the car, and her nose was as straight as it had been before the crash, albeit covered in blood. Naruto stored that information away for later; vampires could heal at insanely fast rates.

"I left my cell-phone back at the house, but if you want I can run and try to find him!"

Sakura shook her head furiously. "No, I mean, can you use your bond to 'call' him? He can call you, we saw that last night. Use everything you have to call him, and while you do that, go with Sookie and my clone to _Fangtasia_. Kakashi will know how to treat her until I get there."

Naruto watched as Sakura created a shadow clone, and immediately put his hands together to create two of his own. The clones moved quickly and smoothly, standing on either side of Sakura's clone as it carefully picked the unconscious Sookie up from the ground. The human woman moaned in pain, and the kunoichi's clone put a glowing hand to Sookie's head, sending calming waves of chakra through the woman's body.

Jessica gave a little shriek at seeing the clones. "Oh my fucking god, what–"

"Jessica, _go_!" Naruto barked, and the red-haired vampire gaped at the clones, not seeming to hear Naruto's words. With a growl, one of his clones yanked her onto his back, and followed the others into the darkness. Sakura moved to Naruto's side, her hands glowing in preparation to attack.

"_No!_" the strange woman hissed, her voice as rough and dangerous as her appearance. She made to run after the group, but in a flurry of movement Sakura blocked her path. The evil woman let out a strangled hiss, and Sakura's eyes were cold and flinty.

"I believe you were asked a question."

The woman screeched in unadulterated fury, and Sakura just barely dodged the swipe of her lethal looking claws. Naruto was already making his hand signs as he ran forward, and instantly two more clones ran at his side. They each pulled out a kunai, and Naruto forcefully swung his foot at the bull-woman's head with enough force to break her skull. As it was, she was a bit faster than she looked.

Naruto blinked when she suddenly ducked, forcing him to twist in midair to avoid crashing into Sakura. He landed on his feet, whipping around to face his opponent. The woman remained crouched, and a low growl was heard over the whoosh of the breeze as it tickled the surrounding trees. It rumbled through Naruto's bones, and he spared Sakura a quick glance before steadying his stance.

Sakura had described the feeling of natural energy almost perfectly. Whenever Naruto collected natural energy for his Sage Mode, it felt like the energy this woman was exuding – wild, ancient, and dangerous. It wasn't like normal chakra, which had a much more tempered and flexible aura. The energy of nature was one of extreme unpredictability, and it was because of that fact that it was considered one of the most dangerous sources of power.

"_Join me, Brother_," the bull-woman crooned, and Naruto's eyes narrowed to furious slits, his feet taking him a step forward in anger. Sakura gave him a sharp glare, and the blonde reluctantly stepped back to stand beside her. The woman locked eyes with Naruto, her voice chanting in a fluid language that tugged at Naruto's skin–

And suddenly everything was on fire. Naruto let out a piercing shriek as he fell forward on his knees, his hands scrambling for some purchase on the grass. His mind was screaming for release, his body was shaking and twisting uncontrollably. Sakura's voice came from very far away, and so did her hiss when she touched his arm, only to yank her fingers away a moment later. He could feel his chakra burning her, and if he hadn't been in so much pain he would have been able to say he was sorry. It was with a hazy sense of self that Naruto turned to see that his body was surrounded by the Nine-Tailed-Fox's cloak, burning into his skin and blackening as the seconds ticked by.

_What the fuck is happening? _Naruto screamed at the Fox, ducking down into the prison waters and sending all of his pain at the bars. But the Nine-Tails was roaring and snarling, eyes bright and bloodthirsty, full of the untamed fear that one sees in an injured wildcat. It thrashed around in its cage; it's mind shut off to Naruto's yells of confusion.

Fighting was going on around him, but his eyes closed before he could see much of what was happening. The cloak dimmed his human senses, dimmed his consciousness, and it was only getting worse.

The jounin felt a burst of chakra as his clones dispersed, sending a series of images and sensations rushing through Naruto's brain. The only thing Naruto could comprehend through the mind-numbing pain was that the clones had reached _Fangtasia_, and that Sookie was no longer in danger.

The blonde shinobi's vision was bleeding into fiery crimson, his screams choking into gurgles as the cloak seeped further into his skin, saturating his very essence, drowning him in the pain pain pain pain–

Naruto's eyes snapped open at the wet sound of flesh being ripped apart, and slowly turned to search for the source. His eyes found it, and the pain was almost second to the sight before him.

It was horrifyingly mesmerizing, the way time seemed to slow in those few seconds.

Sakura was facing away from him, and she had three claws sticking out of her back. Blood was pooling around the wounds, and began to drip down her back and legs. Pink tresses were falling out of Sakura's high ponytail, matted with leaves and dirt, the ends of her hair sticking to her wounds and quickly becoming soaked with blood. Sakura slumped forward, her body resting against the bull-woman's shoulder. Naruto watched in horror as the bull-woman grabbed the kunoichi's hair, roughly yanking the claws out of her and tossing her limp form aside.

Sakura fell, and was completely still.

"Sak…ur…a," Naruto ground out, through the burning of the Fox's chakra. His mind registered the sight before him; the blood, the flutter of Sakura's chakra as it struggled to heal the wounds dealt to her body, the sight of her green eyes boring into hers with a terrible blankness to them. Her lips were trembling, struggling to form words but falling short of doing so.

"No!" Naruto hissed, and dove past the fire and rattled the cage of the Fox, sending every bit of power he possessed into breaking the bull-headed woman's hold on it. The bull-headed woman was walking toward him, her naked body glowing in the moonlight, the horns of her headdress black silhouettes against the night sky.

Her clawed hands touched his head, and Naruto crumpled even further, trying so hard to keep his thoughts clear. Think of Sakura, think of Kakashi, think of Konoha. Think of home, think of Mom and Dad, think of ramen and long walks along the village walls. Think of Sasuke, think of those tombstones. Think of Iruka-sensei, think of the Third Hokage, think of Granny Tsunade. Think of Sakura as she was right now, bleeding out on the forest floor with no one to save her–

The chakra cloak flared once more, but this time, it was under Naruto's control. His eyes flickered up to the bull-woman, and with a thundering snarl he sent a piece of his cloak at the woman, shaping the chakra into claws and gripping the woman around the torso. She was chanting again, more hastily, but Naruto wasn't about to let her finish.

With a roar that sent vibrations shaking through the air of the clearing, Naruto whipped the chakra arm around, and sent the woman sprawling into the underbrush. A pained yipping was heard as the woman crunched through several tree trunks, and Naruto felt the compulsion fade almost instantly. His blood was boiling, his heart beating a painful rhythm against his ribcage. His mouth began to bleed, and he reached up to feel what had caused it – his canine teeth were lengthened, cutting into his lower lip.

The young man heard the bull-woman running away, and stumbled to Sakura's side, feeling a stinging behind his eyelids as he bent to listen for her breathing, desperately searching for a pulse. He found it, and he let out a half-sob of relief, running his fingers over her injuries. They were bleeding profusely, and with one smooth movment he tore off his shirt and pressed it to the wounds, reaching with one hand to his hip pouch, where several bandages were located.

The cool air should have been uncomfortable against the skin of his torso, covered only by a mesh undershirt. But the Fox's chakra was still pumping through him, over-sensitizing his senses as if to make up for the lapse in control.

Naruto hated to move her, but he did so without hesitation as he wrapped the bandages around her form, knowing that that's what Sakura would have done in this sort of situation. She had taught him the emergency survival tricks during the war, and he had learned eagerly, knowing that they would come in handy out in the field.

Once the bandaging was done, he pulled her into his arms, scanning her form with his eyes, trying hard to remain calm. The scent of her blood was filling his nose, and the animal inside of his heart snarled in pleasure at the smell. The Fox was lingering even closer, so close that Naruto's crimson eyes began to glow in earnest.

"S-Sakura? Can you hear me?" he asked in a low voice, and his harsh breathing hitched when Sakura's eyes opened with bleary slowness, taking a few moments to properly focus on him. She smiled, blood-foam bubbling at her lips as she coughed.

"P-P-Poi…son. Tak-taking hold of my n-nervous system…d-destroying my organs…"

"What do you need?" Naruto asked, pushing off across the highway and making his way to the vampire bar. His body was tense and shaking in its struggle to remain in control of the chakra screaming in his veins, and his mind kept flickering from normal to a vision tinged with red.

Sakura was slipping away from him, and he shook her lightly to keep her awake.

"Sakura, what do you need? I need to know what you need!"

Sakura's eyes slid away from his face to stare at the night sky.

"I need Tsunade."

Naruto felt hot tears threatening at the sad tone to her voice, and gritted his teeth as the Fox's suffocating bloodlust began to seep into his mind. The trees were thinning – he must be reaching the outer city limits.

"Dammit, Sakura, hold on! Don't you dare give up, you _never _give up! Keep fighting, keep _fighting_!"

"I'll try…"

-x-X-x-

Kakashi felt Naruto and Sakura's chakra approaching, and set down the cleaning towel, frowning at how fast the chakra signatures were moving. They couldn't be more than five minutes away. The only reason Naruto and Sakura would be moving with that much urgency was if something was wrong. Suddenly, the scent of freshly spilled blood – a lot of it – reached Kakashi's nose, and his head snapped to the side, meeting the Sheriff's cold gaze from across the dancing crowd. The Sheriff gave Kakashi a nod of acknowledgement, and met eyes with his Child.

In one smooth movement, the vampire rose, and Pam flickered over to the stereo to turn the music off. The drunk and lust-crazed patrons took a second or two to register the lack of music, and the Sheriff's voice resonated clearly throughout the bar.

"We apologize for the sudden inconvenience, but we must ask everyone to leave. If you are not out of this bar in three minutes, you will be considered trespassers. We will be open again in two days time."

The humans were scrambling toward the door, and at the Sheriff's soft order the vampires present began herding them even faster. The main interior lights flashed into existence, and the seductive feeling of the club disappeared just as quickly. Kakashi watched as the three waitresses bolted out of the door, stopping only long enough to grab their purses. In two minutes and thirty-seven seconds, everyone was gone from the premisis save for Kakashi, the Sheriff, and Pam.

The chakra signatures of Kakashi's teammates were upon them, and Sookie Stackhouse's blood began to drench the air with its thick smell. The Sheriff was by Kakashi's side in an instant, his mouth turned downward in a frown. Light footsteps made pattering noises on the sidewalk, and Pam flashed to the door, wrenching it open to admit them.

Sakura burst in first, her hair in tangles and her face streaked with blood that wasn't her own. Sookie Stackhouse lay unconscious in the kunoichi's arms, and Kakashi moved forward at the sight of the jagged pieces of glass sticking out of the blonde's left forearm. The Sheriff's nose flared slightly at the sight of blood, but to his credit he remained perfectly still, even managing to keep the same concentrated frown on his face.

Kakashi hastened to help Sakura set Sookie down on the nearest table. He was desperately wanting to find out what had brought the two shinobi back to the bar in such a state, but knew better than to ask questions while someone needed urgent medical attention.

Sakura immediately pulled on a pair of gloves and her chakra glowed as she carefully numbed the area around the glass. Out of the corner of his eye, the older jounin saw Naruto and a shadow clone flicker inside, one of them holding a wide-eyed Jessica. Once inside, the blonde shinobi set Jessica down, keeping a tight hold on her arms. The clone, no longer needed, merged with its companion and the two became one. Jessica struggled slightly, her fangs fully extended at the smell of fresh blood.

"Pam, take Jessica to your house. The two of you will stay there until sunset tomorrow," Eric said softly, and Pam nodded, her expression one of relief at being given the chance to escape the temptation of Sookie's blood. The vampire grabbed Jessica's wrist, and the two were out the door in a blur.

The Sheriff frowned, and sniffed in Sakura and Naruto's direction with a cocked brow. Sakura glared at him, and flicked her mess of hair over one shoulder to better examine Sookie.

"We're shadow clones, so that's the difference you're sensing. And don't even ask how we're able to do it; it's a chakra thing. Kakashi, hold her fingers out of the way, I have to get the glass out."

Sakura had sent back a clone? Kakashi knew as well as anyone that Sakura's forte wasn't shadow clones, and yet she had felt the need to send one back in this case. Why was that? Kakashi held his tongue at the sight of the clone's focused expression, and did what she asked him to do.

"Sookie!" Bill's voice echoed in the near-empty club, and Kakashi turned to see Bill standing at the door. His dark blue eyes were wide with fear and horror, and in an instant he was by Sookie's side, stroking her bloody forehead and touching her uninjured arm.

"I came as fast as I could. I found Jessica first, as her call was strongest. She directed me here," Bill explained, reaching up as if to bite his wrist. Clone-Sakura – who had just finished removing the last of the glass – was in between the two immediately, and her green eyes were stern as she spoke.

"Bill, stay back and let me work. I know you're worried, but you'll only get in the way."

Bill shook his head. "I can heal her. Vampire blood is unique. It helps humans heal at incredible rates. Please, let me show you."

Clone-Sakura was going to argue, but Clone-Naruto stepped behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let him. You need to conserve your chakra, anyhow; your original may need it."

Bill nodded at Clone-Naruto in thanks, and moved to bite his wrist once more. There was a crunch as the fangs broke the skin, and Bill quickly put the bleeding puntures to Sookie's mouth. Kakashi watched silently, ignoring Clone-Naruto's grimaces of disgust and Clone-Sakura's hiss of protest.

The moment Sookie swallowed Bill's blood, an astonishing process began to take place. The ghastly wounds on the woman's arms healed right before their eyes, going through all the stages it would have gone if had been given time to heal, but in a matter of seconds rather than weeks and months. It was as if a medic was healing her instantly with chakra, but there was no outward energy involved in this case.

Clone-Sakura was staring dumbly at the healing wounds, and her sharp green eyes scanned the woman's body, pulsing outward with her chakra to see if the blood had in fact done its job. From the shocked look on Clone-Sakura's face, it had. Clone-Naruto was gaping at Sookie's form – now practically glowing with health. Kakashi moved back slightly, ignoring the blood on his hands.

"Sakura, Naruto, report."

Clone-Naruto stood straight, eyes serious as he locked gazes with the older jounin. "We were in the car, on our way to Jessica's street, when a woman with a head ornament in the shape of a bull attacked us. She is of average height, is unclothed, has long, possibly poisoned claws for hands, and uses wild energy from her surroundings to enhance her speed and power. It was clear when we tried to leave that Sookie was her target," Naruto said, and Bill growled at that. Kakashi looked at the unconscious blonde, and couldn't help but frown.

What was so threatening about Sookie Stackhouse?

"Where is she now?" the Sheriff asked quickly, icy blue eyes narrowing in thought. Clone-Sakura stood from her kneeling position and slid into one of the available chairs, her hands folding together in her lap.

"The originals are seeking to eliminate her. My original met a woman in _Merlotte's _this afternoon that had the same evil energy as the bull-headed creature they're facing right now. The woman's name is Maryann, and she is of average height, has long brown hair and brown eyes. After visiting Jessica's street, we were planning on coming straight here to relay this information, but as you can see, we were intercepted."

The Sheriff nodded slowly, and seemed about to speak. But before he could, Clone-Naruto suddenly flared with orange chakra, his eyes bugging out as he screamed. His body writhed and twisted, and Clone-Sakura rushed to his side, struggling to reach him but having little success.

Bill had Sookie in his arms and away from the shrieking Naruto in a matter of seconds, and the Sheriff merely blinked, tilting his head at the sight of the bubbling orange cloak. Kakashi's chest tightened as the clone vanished into nothing, and was on his feet instantly, looking to Sakura's clone. The clone was facing away from him, and Kakashi reached out to grab her shoulder. Her body jerked as if he had punched her solidly in the stomach, which was odd because Kakashi had approached her from behind. She turned, and Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath.

Three punctures – the symmetry of them made it clear that the creature's claws were the cause – appeared, blossoming blood at an alarming rate. Her lips parted, and foam began to bubble in her mouth. A strangled, choking groan escaped her, and in a puff of chakra she was gone as well.

Kakashi didn't wait for the smoke to disperse before jumping over the tables and sprinting out the door. The Sheriff pulled something out of his pocket, and the sound of him speaking speaking rapidly into it quickly faded away as Kakashi put more distance between himself and the club.

Kakashi jumped onto the roofs of the concrete buildings, and his form became a blur as he jumped from wall to wall, gripping the surfaces with chakra before shooting off once more. The awkward hunks of metal called "cars" honked and beeped at each other, creating an unbearable din that made Kakashi's eardrums ache and sting. The edge of the city was soon in sight, and Kakashi let out a sigh that contained both relief and worry when he saw a familiar blonde shinobi flickering toward him, a pink haired kunoichi cradled in his arms.

The jounin stopped, letting the summery air blow through his hair, cooling the hotness to his skin. Naruto stopped right in front of Kakashi, and his face was taut with an expression that could be perceived as pained. His chakra was erratic and dangerous, fluctuating and flaring with malicious intent. The blonde's eyes were deep crimson, glowing and snapping around to take in every movement of the night sky. Kakashi looked to Sakura, and saw the blood on her mouth, the dripping blood that had soaked through the awkward bandage Naruto had made from his own clothing.

"The claws were poisoned. She needs help, Kakashi. I don't…I can't…" Naruto hissed, his eyes gleaming at the sight of the blood on Kakashi's hands. The silver-haired jouinin nodded curtly, and leaned over to gather Sakura in his arms. She was awake, her eyes glazed over in pain, her mouth trembling as she breathed.

Naruto was in the Nine-Tailed state, and it wasn't wearing off as quickly as it usually did. When he went into the state, he gained many animalistic tendencies, one of which was to crave bloodshed. Kakashi was surprised that Naruto had managed to make it as far as he did without snapping and killing anything in sight.

"Go. Come to _Fangtasia _when you're back to normal."

Naruto nodded, and was gone. Kakashi took off back to the club, feeling Sakura's bottle-green eyes locked on his face. Fear was beginning to trickle into his mind – Sakura was in trouble, and they were dealing with a foreign poison from a creature Kakashi had never heard of. How was she going to survive this? If she died…

If Sakura died, would _Kakash_i survive it?

Sakura was his best friend, his confidant, and his equal. Somehow, in those years after the war, she had gotten under his skin and latched onto him in that relentless way of hers. Obito's death had taught him one thing; never get too close, because the instant you do, you find that you have so much more to lose. The jounin thought that he had set that boundary very clearly for himself; he thought that he would be strong enough to separate himself if necessary.

"Ka-Kakashi…is Sookie alright? I felt m-my clone disappear, but the chakra…it's so weak…I can't remember anything from my c-clone…" she breathed, and Kakashi's eyes softened at her selflessness – even when mortally wounded, she was a healer through and through.

"She's fine. Apparently, vampire blood is able to heal things almost instantaneously. Bill gave her some, and she's good as new. I'm hoping that it'll do the same for you."

"Bl-Blood? But that would require…it's i-impossible…"

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"…where's Naruto?" Sakura asked suddenly, her eyes seeking Naruto in the space behind Kakashi.

"He's not in control of himself right now. He'll join us soon, don't worry."

"Okay…" Sakura murmured, letting her head drop back against Kakashi's upper arm. The older jounin smiled crookedly, and held her tightly as he made a particularly perilous jump. The kunoichi's hands tightened weakly around his shirt, her breathing quick and shallow as she gritted her teeth.

Kakashi realized – as he scaled the buildings and listened to the roar of the busy streets – that despite all of his rules and boundaries, he had something very precious to lose, and it was currently bleeding out in his arms.

The club door opened when he reached it, and without ado he ran inside, scanning the room with wary eyes. Bill and Sookie were nowhere to be seen, but after a few seconds, Kakashi's keen ears were able to catch the sounds of Bill moving around, along with the deep breathing of a slumbering Sookie.

The Sheriff was standing beside someone who was less than half his size, an ugly, wrinkled woman dressed in a doctor's smock that was a familiar shade of mint-green. Her eyes were anything but old, however, and their cold blackness was slightly unnerving.

"Set her down here, boy," the woman barked, her voice low and gravelly. Kakashi sent the Sheriff a glance, and the vampire nodded in the short woman's direction.

"Hatake, this is Dr. Ludwig. She specializes in the supernatural; she is the finest in the country. If anyone can help Miss Haruno, it's her."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, and slowly set Sakura down on the table. Sakura let out a sigh, and it pained Kakashi to note that the sigh was not of contentment, but of pain. She was frustratingly quiet, and Kakashi almost wished that she would scream, so that he would know that she hadn't lost her spark just yet, that she hadn't given up.

Ludwig leaned over Sakura, and in one sure movement cut the _Merlotte's _shirt from her body. The punctures were slightly diagonal, so they stretched across her abdomen rather than in her chest – at least she could still breathe; if the claws had punctured a lung or stabbed the heart, Sakura would have died within minutes. Ludwig poked at the wounds, and Kakashi took a seat beside Sakura's head, resting his hands on the table before him.

"We need to turn her over on her back. If she starts foaming up, I don't want her to choke on it," Ludwig stated after a few seconds, and Kakashi met eyes with Sakura, leaning over so his face was level with hers. He sensed the Sheriff standing in the background, watching every move they made.

"Sakura, did you hear that?"

"Yes," she whispered, her voice calmer than it had any right to be. Kakashi waited for her nod, and quickly slid his arms under her torso and her knees, gingerly flipping her onto her back. Sakura winced, and lay panting as Kakashi extracted himself.

Ludwig resumed her prodding and testing, and Sakura took it all very cooly. Her eyes were closed, and Kakashi could feel the tendrils of her chakra struggling to remain active. Ludwig stiffened, and leaned over to get in Sakura's face, blocking Kakashi's view.

"What are you, exactly? You're not human, that much I know, so don't give me some bullshit cover up. You're doing something magic-oriented right now, I can feel it."

Sakura stared at the woman unblinkingly. "I'm a m-medic. I heal using a type of magic called 'chakra'. I was just…seeing where the p-poison…is most concentrated. I managed to contain it…in the surface t-tissue surrounding the punctures…but I can't h-hold out for much longer. It needs to be removed…"

To Kakashi's surprise, Ludwig accepted it without a hitch, and immediately latched onto the new information.

"Alright, I can work with that. You focus on containing the poison, forget about your organs. Vampire blood will heal those right up; right now we've got to concentrate on the poison. I'm going to administer a powerful cleaning agent; in order for it to be effective, you have to remain as still as possible. No matter how much it hurts – and I assure you, it _will _hurt – you have to focus. Do you understand? No matter what, you cannot stop containing that poison. If you lose control of it, it will enter your bloodstream, and you _will_ die."

Kakashi swallowed hard, and forced himself into a state of steady calm, crouching beside the table. "Sakura, do you need something to bite down on?"

"No…I c-can handle it. During…just t-talk to me. T-Tell me what I have to do. It'll help…"

Kakashi felt his chest clench. Sakura was so effortlessly brave, and he both admired and hated that about her.

Ludwig leaned over to get the liquid out of her hefty suitcase, and Kakashi looked at the Sheriff, who had been silent through the entire exchange. His eyes were locked onto Sakura's form, in his expression an odd blankness. The vampire sensed Kakashi's gaze, because he deliberately turned his head, and raised an eyebrow.

"I may need help holding her down – as you know, she's very strong. The pain will cause her chakra to spike as her adrenaline levels jump, and even I'm not strong enough to contain her when that happens."

"Of course," the Sheriff agreed smoothly, and flickered to Sakura's other side, blonde hair glimmering in the harsh white light streaming from the ceiling. Kakashi watched as Ludwig tapped a small bottle, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura's shoulders tense in preparation.

Slender, calloused fingers sought his, and without much thought Kakashi linked their hands together. Sakura looked up at him, her green eyes – for the first time – filled with something more than the eerie calm she had been exuding. In the few seconds before Ludwig spoke the fateful words, Kakashi saw the fear of failing, the fear of dying and going on alone.

"Stay strong, Sakura. No matter what happens, I will be right here. There's no reason to be afraid," Kakashi assured her, staring deeply into her eyes, wishing that he could take the pain in her stead. But he couldn't. He couldn't even use Sharingan to numb the sensations, because that would lessen her control on her weakening chakra.

Sakura smiled faintly, and her hand tightened around his.

Ludwig finished mixing various cleaning agents, and stood straight. The dwarf of a woman pursed her lips, and gave Kakashi an expectant lift of her eyebrows. "Is she ready to begin? We don't have much time."

The silver-haired shinobi looked down at Sakura, and she gave him a small, determined nod. He stared at her for a moment longer, memorizing the image before him, storing away the memory of Sakura like this – calm even when thrust into a perplexing universe, strong when she had a very good excuse to be weak, and brave when even the great Kakashi Hatake felt like the world was collapsing around them.

Kakashi had never been more proud of her.

"She's ready."


	13. Chapter 12: Bittersweet

Hello, all!

I'm SO SORRY about the long update!

All I can say is that I'm a college student, and between a varsity sport and academics, I've had quite literally NO TIME to write fanfiction. I'm hoping to update faster this time, but please don't be surprised if it takes me a while.

So here's the next chapter: Sakura and Naruto POV! Enjoy!

_**Reviews are adored and treasured.**_If you want to make my day, take a moment or two to leave your thoughts! Any suggestions, concerns? Review, and let me know!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or True Blood, how many am I going to have to say this before it sinks in? =D

-x-X-x-

Chapter 12: Bittersweet

-x-X-x-

Sakura was no stranger to pain. Ever since turning eight and entering the Academy, various instructors had drilled the concept of pain into her malleable brain. The understanding that pain was inevitable was one of the first lessons shinobi were ever taught. As a genin, Sakura had been naïve enough to think that pain was purely physical, but Sasuke's betrayal had been an effective wake-up call. Pain was pain, whether it was afflicting the flesh or festering in the heart.

And pain was what Sakura felt when the doctor began pouring the cleansing solution onto her back. It dragged her right out of the blurry state of sluggishness and into reality. Memories of the fight were scattered along the edges of her awareness as she was forced to focus on one thing: the _pain_!

Searing and terrible, it tore through her skin like a branding iron, and the kunoichi's mind flickered back to the moment where Sasori's sword had pierced her abdomen. The feeling of being stabbed was the only feeling that could compare, and that set Sakura's befuddled mind in a dark humor. The agony increased, and Sakura's vision blurred, her mouth opening in a silent scream.

Her body flailed automatically, and the young woman felt two cool hands settling down on the exposed skin of her shoulders, pressing down with impossible strength. In the haze, Sakura was shocked enough to freeze, and her body relaxed instinctively.

The only person who was strong enough to hold Sakura down was Tsunade. Tsunade was right there beside her, keeping Sakura still, hands firm and stern against her burning skin.

_Don't let me down, Sakura, _Tsunade's voice ordered, barely managing to conceal concern. Sakura could almost smell the woman's jasmine perfume, along with the faint tinge of sake. The two made up a scent that was uniquely Tsunade, and Sakura breathed it in.

_Sakura was standing in the Hokage's office, her teacher sitting in the large leather chair, peering at her with an expectant look. _

"_Sakura? What is it? You're pale as a sheet…" _

_Sakura moved forward to sit beside Tsunade. Beyond the glass wall, Konohagakure was visible. Magnificent and serene, it stretched across in a colorful arrangement of buildings and trees. The spring sky was a bright blue, streaked with wisps of clouds. A burst of pride and longing filled Sakura's chest, and for a moment all she could do was stare at the village in all of its glory. _

_The nightmare had been horrible, and in its grasp, Sakura had been unable to return home. In the depths of the dream, all she had were Kakashi and Naruto and her memories. There had been large metal machines, capable of great speeds and yet so easily overturned and smashed to pieces. _

_The young woman took a deep breath. She_ had _to tell her shishou about the nightmare – normally she wouldn't bother Tsunade with such things, but this was a special case. _

_This one had involved bloodsucking creatures called "vampires", streets paved with black chemicals, and the jarring lack of chakra in civilians. It was terrifying and completely unfamiliar; not a pleasant combination. _

"_Shishou, I–"_

But then, the touch of agony washed over her back once more, and she was torn away from the floating, weightless fantasy. Her body was flailing, but something heavy and oppressing was keeping her down. It wasn't Tsunade, and Sakura's adrenaline levels spiked in panic–

Her sea-foam eyes snapped open, and found Kakashi's eye locked on her form. His hand was being crushed in between Sakura's fingers, but he didn't so much as blink. Sakura saw his face through a blur of pain, and she heard his voice murmuring to her, firm and patient.

"I need you to focus, Sakura. The pain is secondary. Listen to my voice, and listen to your chakra. You aren't helpless in the face of pain; you are still strong. Focus, Sakura, feel the poison…_contain it_."

"Kak…ashi…" Sakura grunted, and his dark gray eye softened, gripping her hand just as tightly – quite a feat, actually. Another terrorizing wave of pain swept through every nerve, and her eyes squeezed shut. Her chakra was flaring, instinctively rising to fight against the cold hands of the vampire above her.

"Sakura," Kakashi murmured, and the warning behind his voice was enough to make Sakura open her eyes. She stared into his face, and saw the worry present behind his mask of calm. Her teeth ground together so hard that it hurt, but she forced herself to listen to Kakashi…she needed to listen to her chakra…

At the moment, her chakra was swirling in an agitated manner, focusing on her shoulders – the place where the most resistance was being placed. It went against every self-preservative instinct in Sakura's body, but she took a deep breath, and began to slowly channel her chakra to the three puncture wounds in her abdomen. The poison was fighting against the web of chakra Sakura had already instated, comparable to a cloud of ink itching to stain the rest of the canvas.

Sakura poured her chakra into the web, reinforcing it, sustaining it. But as soon as she did that, the chakra she had been using to dull the pain around the wound was weakened.

It was then that Sakura let out a single cry, loud and piercing; because if she didn't somehow express the agony she was feeling it would consume her. She didn't scream, she didn't shriek like a banshee…that was for civilians who didn't understand pain. That was for rookie shinobi who were inexperienced with the degrees and instigators of pain.

Sakura was an elite medic-nin. She and pain were old friends, friendly rivals that acknowledged each other while at the same time trying to destroy each other.

With that in mind, Sakura closed her eyes, and sank into the haze, blocking out everything except for the agony and the pulse of her chakra as she kept the poison in a restricted area. She could detect the burning of the disinfectant, and could tell that the poison was being slowly but surely eliminated.

The dream-like state tugged at her skin, urging her to sink into the images of Tsunade and the others lost in the war. Her deceased friends smiled at her from behind the bright veil, not beckoning, simply waving at her and calling out encouragement.

"_Come on, Forehead! Is that all you got?"_

_"Sakura, you are a blossom of beauty and youth! I will preform a thousand pushups to prove it!"_

"_You can do it, Sakura. Show that poison who it's dealing with!"_

_Akamaru's bark echoed, and Sakura glimpsed the nin and his master beaming at her from within the flickering rays of light._

Sakura felt the poison lessening even more, and the gravelly tones of the healer were heard, though of course Sakura didn't comprehend them. The kunoichi was beyond concentrating on her physical senses.

_Her friends were strangely substantial, and clad in clothing that shimmered and shone like silk. Smidges of green were visible behind them, and Sakura felt a sharp jolt of shock when a familiar voice sounded. _

"_Hn. I knew you were strong, Sakura. You know better than to be afraid of death. Death is where we finally learn the truth about everything…" _

And suddenly words were comprehensible again.

"Go ahead and give her blood, Sheriff. Her body is too weak to effectively use chakra to heal itself," the healer grunted, and Sakura felt her body being lifted up, turned so it was lying across something firm and cool.

Kakashi's voice was somewhere nearby. "Sakura, can you hear me?"

Sakura was about to rouse herself out of the state of helplessness when something cold and strong was pressed against her slightly parted mouth. Thick liquid – slightly bitter, but mostly rich and warm – hit her tongue, and at a much deeper and closer voice's urging, Sakura began to drink.

_The figure that was the fallen Uchiha frowned, as if listening to something, and beckoned to his companions with a quick jerk of his head. The rest scowled reluctantly, but seemed resigned to listening to Sasuke nonetheless. In between the waving strands of light, Sakura watched as they each waved to her. Being the last one to leave, Ino blew her a kiss, winking before turning and vanishing. The pink-haired kunoichi raised her hands, but before she could call out to them, she was sucked downward, falling through the blackness toward some unknown location. _

_Something thick and tingling was resounding through her body. Her chakra was spiking and replenishing at an unnaturally fast rate, echoed by the racing of her heart–_

Sakura's lungs filled with air, and she opened up her eyes to find herself staring into Kakashi's dark gray one. She was lying on her back, stretched out across a padded bench. Her torso was clad in a fresh shirt and her lower half still in blood and dirt-stained shinobi pants. Wetness was streaking her face, trickling into her hair and tickling her skin. Traces of the bittersweet liquid were still in her mouth, and she couldn't tell whether she enjoyed or detested the taste.

Kakashi was sitting close to her, his hands folded tightly together. Sakura felt sobs racking through her chest, and slowly sat up, dimly noting that her body was completely healed. In fact, she felt healthier than she had in years.

But the tears kept on coming, and Sakura knew that no amount of vampire blood – with that in mind, Sakura decided that she definitely loathed the taste – would heal the hole left by the Fourth Shinobi War.

"They just keep _leaving_…" Sakura sobbed, and gratefully leaned into Kakashi when he put an arm around her. The position was familiar, as easy as breathing, and Sakura breathed in the man's scent – warm, clean, and distinctly Kakashi.

The older jounin didn't try to comfort her with useless reassurances, or even try to ask whom she was talking about. He simply shifted so she was more comfortably situated against his side, her head nestled into the hollow of his throat. His chin rested in her hair, and he seemed oblivious to the fact that it was tangled and horrifyingly dirty.

Or maybe he did notice it, but just didn't care.

Either way, he was there for her. That was one thing Sakura could always count on, whether they were in their world or in this strange new one. Nagging doubts irked at her mind, tempting her – what if Kakashi died? Sakura squashed down those traitorous thoughts, and burrowed deeper into Kakashi's embrace.

Kakashi wouldn't leave.

-x-X-x-

Naruto's clawed hands curved into the bark of the tree he was perched in, creating a delicious feeling of power as they cracked through the weak material. Crimson eyes, pupils slitted like those of a fox, were glazed as the young man's nose twitched, catching the scent of something on the wind. Chakra pulsed around his form, invisible to the human eye yet completely detectable to those able to sense such things. Animals were perceptive beings, and so Naruto knew better than to assume that they couldn't sense his presence. But he didn't mind them knowing.

It made the hunt that much more enjoyable. The smell of fear was always one to savor when he was in this Fox-induced state.

The only way to satiate the Fox when he was this agitated was to kill something, and Naruto would rather take out the bloodlust on animals than on humans. Sakura would hate him for hunting innocent deer – she had a particular fondness for them, as she had spent several months working in the Nara compound at the beginning of her apprenticeship with Tsunade – but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Naruto bent over his perch, mouth slightly open to better capture the scents of the surrounding prey. Several does were in the brush to his left, standing still as stone to avoid his attention. Little did they know, they had his attention, just not attention that would result in their demise. The blonde grinned rakishly, feeling the delicious pain of his elongated canines biting into his lower lip. The Fox's chakra pulsed up in response, urging him to keep searching.

Ah, there was something.

Naruto's head snapped to the right, sensing a much larger animal in the vicinity. The large bear was on edge, sensing his malicious chakra but unsure of how to react to it, and that was its first mistake. Always trust the initial gut reaction, it usually ended up being the wisest course of action. When Naruto dropped to the ground before it, snarling in delight at the lethality of the bear's claws and teeth, the bear chose to turn and run. That was its second and last mistake.

The Fox delighted in the chase almost more than the fight, so he wasn't disappointed at the bear's futile efforts. Naruto prowled forward, chakra making him a blur of black and yellow. Crimson eyes gleamed in the weak moonlight, and sharp fingers curved in preparation for the kill.

An hour or so later, Naruto Uzumaki stood over the lifeless bear, his hands drenched in blood along with bits of fur and flesh. His mouth was red and glossy, and his eyes were a clear cerulean blue. His breath came in short gasps, and tears were gathering at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Naruto whispered to the bear, turning away so that he wouldn't throw up all over the corpse. He made it a few yards away before staggering against a tree, emptying his stomach over and over again. A few birds flapped away from the scene, scared away by the smell of death, no doubt.

Naruto watched them go, and looked down at himself.

It began with a chuckle, a giggle, but that was all it took for it to escalate into full-blown hilarity. Hysterical and panicking, Naruto held his stomach, cackling into the stillness of the night.

Tears fell, unnoticed, from his eyes, and after a time even Naruto himself couldn't tell whether he was sobbing or laughing.


	14. Chapter 13: Give and Take

Ooooh...it's been a while, huh?

So sorry for the long update, I was going to keep this a short one, but it ended up dragging on and ON...so I hope the length is okay.

So, keeping in mind a piece of advice a reviewer gave me about limiting the amount of angst, here's a pretty light-hearted chapter.

If you have any questions as to why I make the characters act the way they do in these particular situations, feel free to pop me a review and I'll get back to you!

Without further ado, here is an all Kakashi POV, because let's face it, I'm in love with the man.

=D

**Disclaimer: I own othing-nay, ease-play y-tray o-tay et-gay the ****essage-may. **

-x-X-x-

Chapter 13: Give and Take

-x-X-x-

Kakashi snapped into awareness, his senses going on red-alert and his body tensing in preparation for a fight. Even in the safety of his own apartment back in Konoha, Kakashi always awoke in this manner. It had saved his life out in the field more times than he could count, so he wasn't about to start complaining. It also made coffee rather unnecessary – a cup of the bitter liquid couldn't hope to compare with the quick jolt of adrenaline.

The silver-haired jounin was reclined against the padded booth, an unconscious Sakura Haruno lying on the bench beside him, the top of her head just barely brushing against his knee. Lying on the other side of Kakashi was an equally comatose Naruto Uzumaki, the boy freshly scrubbed and clad in clean clothes bearing the _Fangtasia _logo. His eyes were shadowed with exhaustion, and when Kakashi leaned forward to look closer, he noted that the boy's fingernails were stained with blood. So the boy had killed last night. If the jounin focused his sense of smell and leaned forward a bit more, he could detect that it was deer – more than one, by the slight varying of scents.

That was something to be grateful for, he supposed. At least Naruto hadn't been so far gone that he couldn't tell the difference between human and animal. That had happened once or twice in the time since the war. Naruto losing control never ended well.

As quietly and carefully as he could, using chakra to mute his progress, Kakashi eased himself from in-between the two shinobi and stepped over the table and onto the main floor. The bar was light tight, but glance at the clock on the wall let Kakashi know that it was 8:35 AM. It was daytime, so the vampires were in their coffins, stowed away somewhere in the bar.

Kakashi sighed, leaning against the bar and carefully recalling the events of last night. His hand pulsed painfully, and he examined the bruised and battered appendage with a blank expression. Sakura hadn't been aware enough to comprehend that in the midst of the cleansing, she had been gripping his hand so hard that Kakashi had felt several bones crack. But Kakashi didn't mention it; he was willing to take a little bit of pain if it meant helping Sakura.

After the wounds were finally clean, it was the Sheriff who volunteered to give her blood. Bill seemed especially adamant about not giving Sakura his blood, which put a bit of suspicion in Kakashi's mind. What exactly was behind the giving of vampire blood?

-x-X-x-

"_The process is nearly completed. Compton, will you be providing the blood?" the stout healer asked gruffly, and Bill was shaking his head before the healer finished her sentence._

_"No," he stated shortly, his eyes dark and indecipherable. Sakura let out a hair-raising scream at that moment, chilling the air around them and yanking at Kakashi's chest like a fishing hook. He ignored the agony in his hand and sent Bill a sharp look._

"_What exactly are the consequences of ingesting vampire blood?" _

_Bill seemed relieved that Kakashi had brought that point up, while the Sheriff looked simply bored. But there was a tightening to his gaze that Kakashi didn't miss, and his suspicion rose even more. Sakura's yell dwindled to a whimper, and Kakashi's other hand was brushing the hair from her sweaty face before he could think to restrain the urge. _

"_Vampire blood, as you know, is an incredible healing agent. It can mend injuries that common medical procedures cannot hope to heal. But if taken excessively and in large quantities, it is a drug of sorts. It results in enhanced senses, increased strength, and increased sex drive. If ingested directly from the source – the source being a willing vampire – then the human creates a temporary link with the vampire. The vampire can feel the human's emotions, and can track the human wherever they are. The human also gains a very strong sexual attraction to the vampire in question," Bill explained. _

_Kakashi's stomach twisted, and his injured hand tightened on Sakura's. No, there was no way that he was going to put Sakura in that sort of position. _

"_I will give her my blood," the Sheriff murmured from across Sakura's prone body. His hand was still on her shoulders, but now the vampire released the young woman, moving toward her._

"_Go ahead and give her blood, Sheriff. Her body is too weak to effectively use chakra to heal itself," Dr. Ludwig stated casually, beginning to collect her equipment into her large medical case. _

_Kakashi flicked his eye patch up, and his Sharingan spun. The enhanced speed allowed Kakashi's calloused hand to intercept the Sheriff, fingers tightly gripping the vampire's wrist in a hold that would have crippled a human. The vampire merely hissed in warning. _

"_Release me if you want to keep your arm attached to your body, human," the Sheriff stated calmly, his fangs glinting as he spoke. Kakashi ignored the threat – it was an empty one, anyway – and fixed the vampire with his gaze._

_Dr. Ludwig suddenly cut in, "The poison is all gone, but her body is very, very weak. If she doesn't get some vampire blood in her immediately, she will die within a day or so. Make up your minds, she doesn't have much time."_

_The two battled silently for several moments, and it was the vampire who finally broke the silence with a smirk._

"_If you're so against me giving her blood, then fine. Enjoy watching her die." _

_The vampire made to pull back, but Kakashi felt a stab of panic, and tightened his grip. The Sheriff raised a brow, and Kakashi gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw ached. He was closed in on all sides. There was nothing he could say that would justify refusing the Sheriff's help. _

_Sakura would die without the vampire's blood. _

_But the tie they would have…could he handle having Sakura bonded to the vampire in that way? Would she hate him for it, even if it meant life or death? Sakura was the most independent women he knew – she hated being tied to anyone, having learned her lesson after the losses of the Fourth Shinobi War. _

"_How long will this..._connection_…last?" the shinobi asked coldly, and Dr. Ludwig pursed her cracked lips. _

"_For the average human, vampire blood stays in the system for a little more than a month. But Sakura's healing is so advanced; it's unlike any sort of magic I've ever seen. With her 'chakra', I'm sure that her body will flush the vampire blood out in a week or so, two weeks at most." _

_The Sheriff looked to Kakashi, and the shinobi saw the smug victory in the vampire's gaze. It made Kakashi's nostrils flare, but he managed to keep his temper under control. Think about Sakura, think about Sakura–_

"_Fine…" Kakashi breathed, and reluctantly released his hold on the Sheriff's wrist. The Sheriff sent him another cool glance before continuing to maneuver Sakura onto his lap. Kakashi smiled softly – even with all of the movement, she never once loosened her hold on his hand. The Sheriff draped the girl across him so she was cradled against his chest and abdomen, her legs dangling helplessly over the edge of the table. _

_Sakura's upper body was only clad in her chest wrappings, and Kakashi felt a rush of anger when the vampire's cold fingers brushed sensually against the woman's delicate rib cage. There was no need for the vampire's hands to be wandering as much as they were–_

"_Sakura, can you hear me?" Kakashi asked hurriedly, more to distract himself from the sight of the Sheriff holding Sakura so intimately. The pink-haired kunoichi's eyes fluttered, but the vampire was holding his bleeding wrist to her mouth before she could fully awaken. _

_Sakura sputtered, but the Sheriff murmured to her, smooth nonsense syllables that were obviously meant to soothe and encourage. Sakura's hand tightened around Kakashi's, and when Kakashi squeezed back, the woman sighed and began to drink the Sheriff's blood. _

-x-X-x-

Kakashi was the one to move Sakura to the padded booth bench. The Sheriff and Dr. Ludwig retreated to the older vampire's office to discuss the healer's payment, and Bill settled Sookie down on one of the padded benches close to where Sakura was located. It was nearly dawn, and there wasn't enough time for Bill to take her home, or so the vampire claimed.

Pulled back to the present by that recollection, Kakashi walked over to where Sookie was situated. Her wavy, silvery blonde hair was strewn around her head, and her smooth forearm was clean and unflawed; as if a large piece of glass _hadn't _been shoved clean through the previous night. The sight of it made Kakashi both wary and at ease – wary because of its lack of logical explanation, and at ease because it would undoubtedly heal Sakura just as effectively.

A familiar stirring of chakra behind him made Kakashi turn around, and he was met with the sight of Sakura getting to her feet, her hand resting lightly on the polished surface of the booth table. Her hair was still in a hazardous ponytail, sea-foam eyes locked on Kakashi's face and her breath leaving her in a heavy gust.

Kakashi watched as she made her way toward Sookie's resting place. The kunoichi knelt down to examine Sookie's arm without actually touching her, chakra pulsing gently. The man smiled slightly, and reached out as if to rest his hand on the top of Sakura's head. But he caught himself, and quickly retracted his hand.

"How is she?" he asked, finally breaking the silence of the morning. Sakura's bright eyes found his in the dim lighting of the room, and she got to her feet. Sookie was a few minutes away from waking up; Kakashi could sense it in the way her breathing pattern changed.

"She's perfectly fine…the vampire blood really works, huh?" she murmured, more to herself than to Kakashi. The older jounin waited until she looked at him again before speaking.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" he asked softly, and Sakura nodded quickly, averting her gaze. Warning bells went off in Kakashi's mind, and he put a hand on her shoulder before she could turn away from him. She stopped, and he let his hand remain there, silently prodding her.

"I'm fine, Kakashi."

"How did the creature manage to catch you off guard? You and Naruto were both–"

"The woman, she did something to Naruto. It was chanting, sort of like the chanting we heard before being transported here. We were handling her just fine, but then she did her magic, and suddenly…Naruto was in his Tailed state. I couldn't get close to him, I couldn't begin to heal him, and I had the woman to deal with. But then, the woman chanted again, and suddenly Naruto's eyes…" She paused, and Kakashi frowned.

"What happened, Sakura?

"Naruto's Fox chakra began attacking me, and not in the crazy Nine-Tailed-Fox sort of way, like he didn't know who I was. It was as if he and the woman were connected, and were working together to bring me down. I tried to focus on the woman, Naruto's chakra wouldn't let up. It got a hold of me, and held me still so that the woman could stab me."

Kakashi blinked, letting his hand drop from Sakura's shoulder. Naruto had attacked her, had held her down so that the creature could inject her with poison. Kakashi could only begin to imagine how terrifying that must have been for Sakura, how totally helpless she must have felt. Facing death knowing that her beloved teammate was the cause…

"Does he know?" Kakashi asked quietly, and Sakura shook her head.

"I don't think he remembers, and I couldn't tell him, not after…not after all he went through last night. Please, don't–"

"Sakura, he can't be kept ignorant of what that creature made him do. If he loses control again, if she uses her magic on him again, he could do an impossible amount of damage."

Sakura frowned. "What will telling him accomplish? You know Naruto, Kakashi; he'll blame himself for falling under her spell. But it's _not his fault_!"

"I'm not saying that it's his fault, Sakura, I'm just saying that he needs to have the knowledge in order to defend himself. If he knows that the creature is capable of using him to hurt people he cares about, he'll actually listen to us and stay away from her," Kakashi reasoned, and he saw the gears working in Sakura's mind.

Finally, she conceded, and nodded. "Okay, I'll tell him, but not until we get back to Bill's, we've all had some time to calm down."

"Sounds like a plan."

As if sensing the end of their argument, Sookie's face scrunched together, his eyelids fluttering to reveal sky-blue orbs. Sakura moved to her side, and touched Sookie's shoulder.

"Sookie, how are you feeling?"

The curvy blonde slowly shifted into a sitting position, and looked around with a dazed expression. "I feel fine…wait…wasn't there a car crash? What happened; where're Jessica and Naruto?" she asked, her head whipping around in search for the redhead and the other blonde.

"There was a car crash, and that woman you met – Maryann, was it?" Sakura asked, and Sookie nodded. "Well, Maryann isn't entirely human, and she attacked the car. You were injured in the crash, so we brought you back here and Bill gave you blood so that you could heal. Naruto and Jessica are fine; Naruto's asleep and Jessica's with Pam."

Sookie relaxed, and the two shinobi snapped to attention when the faint sound of footsteps was heard outside the back entrance, coming closer every second.

Sakura was over by the unconscious Naruto in a flash, hovering over him protectively, while Kakashi quickly pulled out a kunai and moved in front of an oblivious Sookie. He ignored her loud questions as to what was going on, and focused his attention on the door. It was opening now, and he prepared to lift the eye-patch covering his Sharingan.

The door opened, and an unhealthily thin blonde woman wobbled in, humming cheerfully to herself and manuvering a box of _TrueBlood _so that she could close the door behind herself. The thin woman gave a little squeak when she noticed Kakashi and Sakura, and nearly dropped her the box in her arms. Kakashi could hear her heartbeat thumping loudly against her ribcage, as well as smell the heavy cloud of sickly sweetness that was her perfume.

"My sweet Jesus Christ, I didn't know that there was anyone here! Don't you know that the M-Master is a vamp? He won't be up until sundown, so you've got a while to wait!" the woman scolded, flustered and dazed as she moved to set the box on the bar counter.

Kakashi saw nothing threatening about her, and so he stood aside, leaning against the booth and stealing a glance at Sakura, who was also relaxing from her defensive stance. Naruto slept on, dead to the world.

"Hello Ginger! Do you remember me, I'm Sookie," Sookie greeted politely, and Ginger brightened at the sight of the blonde.

"Oh hey there, Sookie! What on earth are you doin' here?"

"Oh, you know, Bill had to crash here for the day so I…oh god…Ginger, Lafayette is_ here_?" she cried, lunging forward and grabbing Ginger's hands. The woman shrieked in fright.

"What in the hell are you on about, Sookie? I just came in to restock, I d-don't know what you're talking about!"

With that, she yanked her hands free and fled the bar, dangerously close to falling due to her six-inch heels. The door slammed shut behind her, and Sookie turned to face Sakura and Kakashi, her eyes bright with unshed tears and her hands shaking with fury.

"What's going on?" Kakashi asked firmly, and Sookie seemed to come to herself.

"My friend Lafayette has been missin' for a while now, and we've been worryin' to death over what might have happened to him, and it turns out that Eric _fuckin'_ Northman has him locked up in his basement! I saw it in Ginger's mind! Well, the hell if I'm just gonna stand around and do nothing!"

With that, the woman turned and strode toward a large metal door found on the other side of the bar, and – exchanging quick looks – Kakashi and Sakura quickly followed. Sookie yanked the door open, and stormed down the narrow set of stairs that wound around a cement pillar. The air was stagnant and smothering, and Kakashi's keen nose crinkled at the raw smells of blood and human filth.

The aura of the place, as well as the coldness, swept Kakashi back into memories of the ANBU interrogation cells. Those terrible rooms resembled the Sheriff's basement, and Kakashi had to steel himself against the chill that trickled up his spine. _Focus, Hatake, _the jounin commanded himself, not allowing his discomfort to show on his face.

There were several pillars in the basement, as well as a circular metal contraption that had chains and handcuffs attached to various sections of the metal. Kakashi's ears caught the sounds of soft breathing, catching every now and then – a sign of fear. Kakashi glanced to his left and saw that Sakura had the same focused look on her face; she was hearing the same thing he was.

Sookie's head was already turned in the same direction as the sound of breathing, and Kakashi remembered that she had the advantage – even if the captive had been completely odorless and silent, she would have no trouble finding him, because she could simply follow his thoughts.

It would be an impossibly useful tool back in the shinobi world, and Kakashi wondered if the Yamanaka clan had ever thought to use their abilities in such a way.

Sookie rushed forward, crying out the man's name and throwing her arms around him. Kakashi and Sakura stayed back a few feet, not wanting to scare the man. Lafayette was around the same age as Sookie, with dark skin and a well-muscled figure. A metal collar around his neck chained him to one of the far cement pillars. His bare chest and shoulders littered with infected cuts. The worst was in his leg, where there was a huge quantity of dried blood and a gaping wound.

Kakashi felt Sakura stiffen at his side, and knew she was struggling to keep her instincts as a healer in check. This man had obviously been through a great amount of trauma; overwhelming him would only make things worse.

The man cracked open his eyes at the appearance of Sookie, and his eyes were glazed over. Sookie wiped her eyes, nodding rapidly – she must have been reading his thoughts, Kakashi mused.

"Yes, Lafayette, I'm here to get you out of here. I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so sorry. I promise you, that fucker's gonna pay for this," she growled, feeling at the man's neck for the way to get him out of the collar. Kakashi wondered what the man had done to incite the wrath of the vampire Sheriff, and considered whether letting him loose was the best option. Being Sookie's friend didn't necessarily make him innocent of all wrongdoing.

Layfayette let out a wretched cry of pain at Sookie's tugging at the collar; Kakashi saw that the skin there was red and bleeding from excessive chafing. Kakashi could empathize with the young man, as he had been the same situation many times throughout his shinobi career.

It seemed to be the final straw for Sakura, who let out a noise of frustration. She moved forward, and nudged Sookie aside. "Hello, Lafayette, my name is Sakura Haruno. I'm a healer, so please don't try to run, okay? Hold still, I don't want the collar to catch on your skin."

Lafayette stared at Sakura, his dark eyes lingering on her long pink hair and then settling on her eyes. Kakashi watched in awe as the man nodded, lifting his neck in an act of complete trust. Then, Kakashi smiled, because there was no reason to be surprised or shocked. This was Sakura's element; this was what she excelled at. She was a healer and a giver, through and through.

She wasn't born a warrior, though of course that didn't stop her from being a damn good one in the years that followed. Rather than being a natural fighter, it was her surroundings that shaped her into what she was.

Sakura carefully shaped her chakra around her fingers, and with a quick jerk, snapped the collar lock apart. Lafayette didn't make a move to stop the kunoichi when she made to remove the rest of his chains, and Sakura's brow was furrowed as she examined his form.

"I need better lighting. Kakashi, can you help move him upstairs? I need to go disinfect my hands if I'm going to work on his leg."

"Of course," Kakashi murmured, and moved forward. The man shrunk into the pillar at the sight of Kakashi approaching, and the jounin paused a foot or so away, remembering that he and the Sheriff were of similar heights. The prisoner probably associated height and an alpha presence with his torturer, and with that in mind Kakashi was quick to kneel so he was at Lafayette's level.

Kakashi glanced at Sakura, who gave him a silent nod of affirmation. They both knew that if Kakashi tried to touch the man now, he would panic most likely injure himself further. And so Kakashi, not breaking eye contact with Lafayette, quickly flipped his eye patch up over his head so his Sharingan was exposed.

The silver-haired jounin felt the familiar tug as Lafayette was caught by the Sharingan's genjutsu. With the careful manipulation of his chakra, Kakashi created a peaceful state of unconsciousness for Lafayette, a serene softness full of gentle light. It would keep Lafayette asleep and unaware for the twenty-four hours. Kakashi was about to complete the jutsu when he remembered the Sheriff's warning to keep the presence of the shinobi as secret as possible.

And so, with another few tweaks, Kakashi blurred the images of himself and Sakura until they were nothing more than images of the imagination. Lafayette wouldn't remember either of their names or faces, and would wake up remembering only that Sookie was the one to get him out of the _Fangtasia _basement.

With that final detail in place, Kakashi finished the jutsu with another burst of chakra, and Lafayette's eyes rolled into the back of his head, body going completely limp. Sookie looked from her friend to Kakashi, and grabbed at Lafayette's arm, her eyes fearful when the man didn't respond.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing permanent. In order for Sakura to heal him, he needs to be completely relaxed. What I did was like hypnosis…when he wakes up, he won't remember either Sakura or me, and I need you to make sure it stays that way. The fewer people who are aware of our existence, the better," Kakashi explained, replacing his eye patch. Then, he reached forward and lifted the younger man into his arms.

Sakura was already upstairs, and when Kakashi reached the tables she was coming out of the bathroom, having and from the heat and smell of soap Kakashi deduced that she had thoroughly washed her hands and arms. The medic rummaged through her pack until she found a pair of surgery gloves, and yanked them on. The movement was so practiced that Sakura made it look effortless, though Kakashi's experience with the things painted a much different picture.

"Wait, shouldn't we get him to a hospital? I mean, I'm sure you're good and all, but…" Sookie trailed off, biting her lip nervously. Kakashi shared a look with Sakura before responding.

"The Sheriff had him down there for a reason, Miss Stackhouse. I know that the thought is displeasing to you, but the possibility still stands that your friend was being rightfully punished."

"Rightfully punished? He was in a fucking _dungeon_, for Christ's sake! That's not punishment, that's torture!"

Kakashi shook his head slightly as he deposited Lafayette on one of the tables, using chakra to flicker to the door, where the light switches were located. He flicked them on, and returned to Sookie's side – only a few seconds had passed.

"Punishment…torture…its all based on perspective, really. Torture to one is just punishment to the other. Not to mention that the saying "A punishment befitting the crime" comes into play. Your friend can't be innocent in all of this, Miss Stackhouse. Wait to make your judgment until you've heard both sides."

With that, Kakashi turned away from the flabbergasted Sookie in order to cut into the cloth surrounding Lafayette's leg. Sakura was by his side in an instant, and in no time at all the fabric on the man's injured leg was gone. Kakashi saw the gaping wound, and smelled the glimmer of metal in the midst of the blood and flesh. It smelled faintly like the "gun" Pam had shown him the night before, and he mentioned this to Sakura.

She nodded, her glowing hands already at work examining the wound. "I can see that, it's pretty deeply imbedded. They call it a 'bullet'?"

Kakashi nodded, and Sakura pursed her lips. "Alright, this is going to take an hour or so," she mused, prodding at the wound, noting Lafayette's lack of response. "How heavy is the genjutsu?"

"Heavy enough. He won't feel a thing for the next twenty-four hours, so don't worry about that," Kakashi replied lightly, and he glanced over to see that Sookie looked a bit green around the edges. Her blue eyes were locked on the gaping hole in her friend's leg, and the jounin decided that she needed to get away from the scene.

"Are you familiar with the area, Miss Stackhouse?" he asked, and Sookie was surprised enough by the question to look away from Lafayette's leg.

"Uh, yeah, I am. Why?"

"Well, Naruto should be waking up in a few hours, and none of us have eaten since yesterday afternoon. Aren't you hungry?"

Sookie rubbed her stomach, nodding in agreement.

"Then it's settled. You and I will go find the nearest market and buy breakfast. Shall we?"

"Um, I left my purse in the car, so I don't have any money…" Sookie said, her face falling in disappointment. Kakashi waved a hand, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a thick wad of green bills – the tips had been better than Kakashi was expecting; if he had counted the money correctly, then he had three-hundred and seventy dollars in his hand.

"Will this be enough?" he asked. It was a legitimate question; the money system in the shinobi world was drastically different from the one in this world. Sookie's eyes bugged, and she coughed in an effort to clear her throat.

"Y-Yeah, definitely!"

"Perfect."

Kakashi handed Sookie the money, and put his hands together. A small dose of chakra later, he had the same illusion as last night – dull brown hair and dark brown eyes. Sakura blinked at the unexpected transformation, but to her credit she took it in stride.

Kakashi gave Sakura one last look. "Do you need any help, Sakura? I can stay if you need another pair of hands," he suggested, and Sakura shook her head, eyes focused intently on her task. The hum of her chakra filled the empty room as she went to work.

"No, I'm fine. Just be sure to get some ramen for Naruto, okay?"

"Will do."

Sookie walked slowly toward the entrance, reluctant to leave. Kakashi followed behind her, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. The sunshine met his face, and he basked in the brightness and the warmth it brought.

It wasn't until the door closed that he asked, "So, does this world have ramen?"

Sookie seemed calmed by the simple, unsuspecting question, and smiled. "Yeah, actually. It comes in all sorts of packaging and flavors. Does Naruto like ramen?"

"Like is a bit of an understatement. We might just end up buying out their entire stock…"

The blonde woman laughed, and Kakashi allowed himself a small smile.


End file.
